1776

Today we celebrate the Glorious Fourth, remembering the day the Declaration of Independence was signed, way back in 1776. We'll have picnics and watch fireworks. One of my traditions is to watch the movie 1776, a tradition I first participated in many years ago at Ruth Wuchter's house. As of this writing, a week before the holiday, my best friend Adrienne and I are planning to continue the tradition.

The movie was filmed in the early 1970s, a film remake of a play/musical. The history presented is not 100% accurate, but it is quite entertaining.

The story revolves around the Second Continental Congress whose delegates met in the famous State House in Philadelphia. The Revolution, or the War for Independence, had started two years previously, but the Colonies had not yet formally broken with Britain. Much to John Adams' chagrin! The movie/play follows the story of how the Declaration of Independence was written, complete with wit and musical numbers. (*Disclaimer: as much as I like the movie, there is quite a bit of foul language, so not necessarily a family movie.)

There are many likeable characters in the movie. John Adams, of course, played by William Daniels, is "obnoxious and disliked, you know it's true!" The South won't agree to break with Britain mostly because it is Adams who always suggests it. Ben Franklin, from Pennsylvania, played by Howard de Silva, is witty, as you'd expect, and is known as simultaneously the youngest and the oldest member of Congress. Ken Howard plays Thomas Jefferson, and Blythe Danner his wife. (The only two women in the whole thing are Mrs. Jefferson and Mrs. Adams. Mrs. Jefferson gets to dance and sing in the enclosed garden -- "my strings are unstrung" -- and Mrs. Adams sings her correspondence back and forth with her husband -- "And while you were sending for wives, John, why didn't you send for you own?") John Callum plays Edward Rutledge, who was actually the youngest member of the Second Continental Congress, and Callum also had the same role in the stage production. Stephen Hawkins, played by Roy Poole, was the ever-drunk representative from Rhode Island. He's always asking for rum. Richard Henry Lee, Judge Wilson, Thomas McKean the hearty Scotsman...

But my favorite character is another from Pennsylvania. John Dickenson was played by Donald Madden and is not as well-known to the public as Franklin or Jefferson or Adams. Dickenson was as conservative as Adams was radical. The radicals tend to be from New England, and the conservatives tend to be from the prosperous middle and agricultural South. Dickenson is wealthy and doesn't want to risk losing it if he backs the losing side. He won't declare war.

"We're already at war, dammit!" Adams shouts. The battles of Lexington and Concord -- the shot heard round the world -- was two years before!

But still Dickenson resists. "You want to dissolve our allegiance with the greatest empire on earth for what? Your petty concerns -- your taxes are too high. Well, sir, so are mine." Dickenson doesn't want to throw the baby out with the bathwater, get rid of everything good Britain provides because there are some things that need to change. He was under no illusions that being a colony of Britain was perfect. But he wanted to change rather than break.

The story continues and of course the Declaration is adopted. Here is where Hollywood and real history part ways. In the movie, as in real life, the vote had to be unanimous. If even one delegation voted "no," then it was over, probably for good. In the movie, the board started in New England and worked southward through the colonies, so Pennsylvania's vote came in the middle. The three delegates -- Franklin, Dickenson, and Judge Wilson -- had not yet agreed, so they passed. Everyone else voted "yea," and it came back to Pennsylvania. Franklin asks the delegation to be polled, a perfectly legitimate request that will allow the majority of PA delegates to have their way. Franklin is for, Dickenson against, and Wilson is a pushover who can't decide which strong-willed man to follow. The vote comes down to a man who admits he doesn't want to be remembered. "If I vote with them, John, I'll be one among many. If I vote with you, I'll forever be remembered as the an who blocked independence." He doesn't want that, so he votes "yea."

The bill has passed. The Declaration is accepted. Independence it will be!

But along with unanimity, they had decided early on that no delegate could stay unless he signed it. It protected all of them. Dickenson still won't sign, so he stands up to leave. "But just so you don't think I love this country any less than Mr. Adams, I will go join General Washington's army."

(The real story is a bit less dramatic, not surprisingly. There were five PA delegates, and they argued among themselves at the inn the night before. The delegates against decided not to attend the vote at all, thereby allowing the Declaration to go through unchallenged. To my way of thinking that showed no less courage. And in real life, Dickenson did leave Philadelphia and join the army.)

As we celebrate our country, our heritage, our freedom, remember we don't all have to agree. Desire for change and disagreement don't mean we love our country any less.

Dierks Bentley's song "Home" said it beautifully:

"Scars, yeah she's got her scars

Sometimes it starts to worry me.

'Cause lose, I don't want to lose

Sight of who we are.

From the mountains high

To the wave-crashed coast

There's a way to find

Better days I know.

It's been a long hard ride

Got a ways to go

But this is still the place

That we all call home.