Independence Day - The Fourth of July

It slipped in on an uneventful Tuesday this year, although many towns celebrated on Monday the Third just to give the holiday a long weekend type feel. Maybe it was a little bit easier to remember the true historic origins of the holiday this year, given the drought and all the caution about fireworks lighting up more than just the night sky.

July 4, 1776, was the day when the Continental Congress sought to take the upper hand in the relentless power struggle with the British monarchy over absolute control of the colonies. That's when the Declaration of Independence was approved. In subsequent...