Revolutionary War Secrets And July 4th Trivia

“The endlessly repeated argument that most Americans are the descendants of immigrants ignores the fact most Americans are NOT descendants of ILLEGAL immigrants.”— Thomas Sowell

By Robin Itzler 

Editor's Note:  This is one of the commentaries selected from Robin's weekly newsletter Patriot Neighbors.  Any cartoons will have been added by me. If you wish to get the full edition, E-mail her at PatriotNeighbors@yahoo.com to get on her list, it's free.

It took just over seven years for America to win our freedom. Although there were skirmishes before, it’s commonly thought that the American Revolution started on April 19, 1775, with the battles of Lexington and Concord. There was still some fighting, but basically the war is considered to have officially ended on September 3, 1783, with the signing of the Treaty of Paris.

At the beginning, we fought alone with little to no money. In time, Spain, the Netherlands and France helped America to win our freedom. But throughout the war, Patriots led the charge to freedom. Here are some interesting facts:

• Thomas Hickey was General George Washington’s personal bodyguard so you would think he might like the man he was protecting. Yet, Hickey was involved in a plot to assassinate Washington prior to the Declaration of Independence being signed. Others were involved, but only Hickey was executed for the plot.
• Support for the colonies breaking away from Great Britain never exceeded 45 percent. Unlike the Civil War, where the north fought south, in this fight neighbors fought neighbors.
• One day Great Britain was winning. The next day colonists were winning. Many people changed allegiance based on who they thought would eventually win.
• Some women fought in the Continental Army disguised as men.
• Invisible ink was used to send secret messages between General Washington and other Patriot leaders. The ink (ferrous sulfate mixed with water) was developed by Dr. James Jay, brother of Founding Father John Jay. Once the ink dried, you couldn’t see anything. Only when covered in a specific chemical or placed near heat did the message appear.
• George Washington did NOT have wooden teeth. His false teeth were made from cow’s teeth and ivory held together by springs.
• Lack of records makes confirmation impossible, but it’s believed that for every troop killed on the battlefield, two more died of disease.
• The National Archives in Washington, D.C. displays the Declaration of Independence, which many people believe is the one and only original. This copy has all 56 signatures of the Second Continental Congress. There were 200 copies of the original printed. The other 199 copies were officially signed by John Hancock and Charles Thompson. Of those 199 copies, 26 survived and the rest lost to history.

Sources: Genealogy Bank, Rochester University, The Archive, State of No. Carolina 

 July 4th Trivia

As you wait for the food to cook on the barbecue or the fireworks to start, amaze your family and friends with some interesting trivia about July Fourth: 

• Founding Fathers John Adams (2nd president) and Thomas Jefferson (3rd president) died on July 4, 1826—our nation’s 50th birthday. Adams was 91 and Jefferson was 83. 
• James Monroe (5th president) passed away on July 4, 1831.
• Calvin Coolidge (30th president) was born on July 4, 1872.
• The number 83 (Thomas Jefferson’s age when he died) is very interesting. If anyone in your group is 83 years old, that means they were born in 1942. Someone born 83 years before 1942 was born 1859. Someone born 83 years before 1859 was born in 1776. 
• The average age of the 56 Declaration of Independence signers was 44. Benjamin Franklin was the oldest at 70 years. He lived to age 84. 
• Thomas Jefferson was 33 years old.
• George Washington was 44 years old when the Declaration was signed. 
• King George of England was 38 years old.

BONUS: The height of the new World Trade Center in New York City is 1,776 feet high.