“Better to die fighting for freedom than be a prisoner all the days of your life.”
Bob Marley
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It will be celebrated with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more.
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About this quote
Meaning
This passage expresses a confident and vivid prediction that a particular day would become a landmark of national celebration, marked by public spectacle and widespread rejoicing from coast to coast. The writer envisions not a quiet or solemn occasion but a joyful, even noisy, communal event repeated year after year into the indefinite future. It reads as both a wish and a conviction.
Context
John Adams wrote these words to his wife Abigail on July 3, 1776, the day after the Continental Congress voted for independence, anticipating how future generations would honor the occasion. He believed the anniversary of that vote deserved to be remembered with the full enthusiasm of a people who understood what had been won. It is worth noting that the holiday eventually settled on July 4, the date the Declaration of Independence was formally adopted, rather than July 2, the date Adams had in mind, but his prediction about the character of the celebrations proved remarkably accurate.
About the author
John Adams was a Massachusetts lawyer and statesman who played a central role in the American Revolution and the founding of the United States. He served as the country's first Vice President and second President. Known for his sharp intellect and sometimes blunt personality, he left behind a rich body of correspondence, particularly with Abigail, that offers an intimate window into the thinking of the founding generation.
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