Our Nation's Birthday July 4, 1776

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Our Nation's Birthday! July 4th 1776

O n July 4, 1776, Thirteen Colonies declared their independence from British rule, which became a historic event in our nation’s history. But before the Colonists’ gained independence, Blacks were already a significant part of the fabric that helped to make this nation great and strong during the fight for independence.

This July 4th, our nation will celebrate its Two-Hundredth and Forty- Third Birthday. Although many Black Americans take part in the celebration and rightly so, many don’t know the history behind the celebration and the sacrifices our ancestors made for us to celebrate this date.

By 1770, there were over 40,000 free African Americans in the Thirteen Colonies, and prior to the American Revolution, many free African Americans supported the anti-British cause. The most famous of these African Americans was Crispus Attucks who is reported to be the first person killed at the Boston Massacre.

The Continental Army and the Navy recruited free and enslaved Black men to fight in the American Revolution because many were already experienced soldiers and sailors, having served in the British military, and on merchant vessels in the North and the South.

The Battle at Lexington and Concord, and the Battle of Bunker Hill had a number of African American soldiers, and by the winter of 1778, the Continental Army was made up of about one-fifth of African American men from the North.

If anyone asks why Black Americans should celebrate the Fourth of July, tell them Black Americans have been part of the fabric that helped to build this nation. Tell them that in 1770, the total population in Colonial America was made up of 500,000 enslaved Black men, women, and children. Tell them that Black men fought so we could live a life of freedom in the pursuit of happiness, liberty and justice for all. Tell them that God created this land for man to live in peace and harmony and we should celebrate the Fourth of July because we are Americans. Amen!

Dr. Precious

Reference: Blackthen.com

Second’s Gazette