Words of Wisdom from SharLeigh

THE BRAVE ROAD TO
INDEPENDENCE

1776 was a hard year for the American colonist.  The Revolution against Great Britain had started a year earlier in Concord, Massachusetts with “the shot heard ‘round the world” which instantly thrust the Massachusetts Colony into rebellion – but what about the other 12 colonies?  Were they in agreement with this rebellion in the North?  Not all were – so 56 men were called to be representatives of the 13 colonies to meet as the Continental Congress at Freedom Hall in Philadelphia.  It was their task to come to an agreement on what to declare to Great Britain’s King George III.  These representatives were a cross-section of leaders in the colonies and included attorneys, clergy, judges, merchants, physicians, planters, politicians, a printer and an iron master.  Their task was not an easy one, for each representative had his own colonies’ interest and his own livelihood to consider.  Now add rebellion and war into the equation, and life as they knew it would cease to exist.  The Declaration of Independence would cut the umbilical cord to the Mother Country.  The 13 colonies would be a rag-tag army with no navy trying to beat a major world power.  It seemed like an impossible task, but once those men put their signatures on that document, it would mean that each of them would commit a treasonous act and be libel to grave consequences.  The British paid special attention to the names on the Declaration of Independence, which forced many of the representatives to flee from their homes.  But no matter what the consequences, each of these men firmly believed in the principles of freedom.  When these 56 brave representatives signed the Declaration of Independence, they made a great commitment to freedom heard ‘round the world.  The Fourth of July is a time to celebrate and take pride in these United States of America for the commitment to the very freedom declared in 1776 which still stands today.  May we all celebrate and thank the Lord that we live in the land of the Free and the Home of the Brave!