That document gave the conflict a higher purpose. It’s important to remember that hostilities had been going on for some time between Britain and America by the time the Declaration of Independence was approved by Congress on July 4, 1776. He argues these discussions shaped how Americans view this important document today.Ī fair number of letters had to do with military operations – people telling George Washington about the position of the troops and other information about the American Revolution’s events.
lawmakers in the decade following the Constitution’s creation. Stanford historian Jonathan Gienapp analyzed debates of early U.S. Humanities New Stanford research reexamines U.S. I’ve been reading letters from the Founding Fathers during that time, and you’d be surprised how many letters were sent and received on July 4 that have nothing to do with independence! Even in 1776. Winterer: Historians spend their time reading a lot of pretty boring documents to get to the golden nuggets. Winterer’s most recent book is American Enlightenments: Pursuing Happiness in the Age of Reason.Īre there ways that your personal historical research ties to July 4 or the Declaration of Independence? What are some interesting findings or conclusions that you’ve made? Gienapp’s latest book is The Second Creation: Fixing the American Constitution in the Founding Era . Meier Family Professor in the Humanities and director of the Stanford Humanities Center, specialize in the history of the United States. Here, Winterer and Geinapp discuss other lesser known facts about the history of Independence Day that they discovered during their research.īoth Gienapp, an assistant professor of history, and Winterer, the Anthony P. It wasn’t until the 1790s that the document was revived for partisan purposes, he said. Winterer, who has been reading the correspondence between the Founding Fathers for her research, learned that much of their exchange had little to do with independence but with tactical operations instead.Īs Stanford historian and scholar on early republican America Jonathan Gienapp discovered, it took over a decade for the Declaration of Independence to matter in American life. (Image credit: todd taulman / Getty Images)Īccording to Jefferson’s records from that day, he also bought a thermometer, said Caroline Winterer, a professor of history in the School of Humanities and Sciences. Celebrating the Declaration of Independence on July 4 is an American tradition, but it took a while for that tradition to develop.
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