Every year we have a public reading of the Declaration of Independence at the Doughboy statue in front of the old Stone Bridge, our Town’s memorial to those who fought and died for freedom in World War I, which ended over a century ago on November 11, 1918. This is the 2020 version, with a link to the Declaration if you don’t happen to have one on hand.
I don’t have to tell you that 2020 will go down in history for a global pandemic similar to the one the world experienced nearly a century ago.
Five years ago, the new Tiverton Public Library was built to replace the small Essex Library on Highland Road, east of the old Stone Bridge.
Thirty years ago, the World Wide Web server was introduced in 1990 which changed our world dramatically. And more changes occurred when the Cold War ended between the Soviet Union and the United States, and when Iraq invaded Kuwait. That same year, the Hubble Telescope was launched, which has also changed our vision of what’s beyond our Earth in the solar system.
Closer to home, the Pocasset Elementary School was built in 1950, 70 years ago. Can you believe it?!
The same year that Hostess Twinkies and Scotch tape were invented and the Chrysler Building was completed in New York City, the first America’s Cup Race was held in Newport in 1930, 90 years ago!
And one hundred years ago, the 19th Amendment was adopted, giving women the right to vote. But it wasn’t until 1980 when Claudine Schneider would be the first woman to be elected to Congress, 60 years later.
Two hundred years ago, 1820 saw the formation of the Union Society, starting with 144 books and a $5 membership fee – the beginning of what would be renamed Tiverton Union Library forty years later. There still is a $5 membership fee for the Association, however, there are thousands of books and other media now available to loan out!
It was only thirty years before that, that Rhode Island became the 13th state to ratify the Constitution; and the last of the 13 original colonies to become a state in 1790.
And 20 years before that, the first American to die at the hands of the British 250 years ago at the Boston Massacre in 1770 was Tiverton’s own Samuel Gray, the uncle of Colonel Pardon Gray.
Which brings us to why we are celebrating our freedom and independence today. Over 250 years ago on March 22, 1765, the Stamp Act was passed by the British Parliament. The American Colonies were obliged to pay a fee on almost every piece of paper they used. People who created public documents had to pay a tax on blank paper they bought. Officials would then place a stamp as proof of payment. The purpose of the collected funds was to protect the American frontier near the Appalachian Mountains. But the majority of the cost was to maintain the contingent of 10,000 British troops in the Colonies.
Two days after the passing of the Stamp Act, the Quartering Act was passed, which required American colonists to house British troops and supply them with food. This sparked the creation of the Sons of Liberty, formed in July as a secret organization opposed to the Stamp Act.
Twenty years later, on April 19, 1775, shots were fired at Lexington and Concord, destroying a weapons depot. The Minute Men forced the British troops back to Boston with George Washington taking command of the Continental Army. He was formally appointed General and Commander-in Chief of the new Continental Army on June 15th, and two days later, the Battle of Bunker Hill was fought and the American War of Independence had begun in full.
Closer to home, three years earlier than those first shots fired against the British, on June 10, 1772, a group of independent-thinking Rhode Islanders rowed out to the British HMS Gaspee and set fire to it, showing the government that this little colony did not like the new taxes that were being imposed on products imported from the mother country. The Gaspee had followed a colonial ship up Narragansett Bay because they wanted to collect the taxes on whatever the ship was smuggling to fellow Rhode Islanders.
This independent spirit was present in Rhode Islander Colonel William Barton who left this very site, known as Howland’s Ferry, with forty men to capture the British General Prescott on another July 4th in 1777. It was Barton’s idea to capture the man in charge of the British invading Rhode Island (Aquidneck Island) and trade him for British prisoner Continental Army General Lee. As we know, that venture was successful and Tiverton Heights Fort above us was renamed in Barton’s honor.
Tiverton also played a major role in the Revolution over 240 years ago as the staging area for about 12-15 thousand Continental troops, militia, and supporters. On August 9th, 1778, the Battle of Rhode Island began with the first attempt at cooperation between French and American forces following France’s entry into the war as an American ally in May. However, due to a major hurricane damaging the French and British fleets causing the French to withdraw to Boston to repair their ships, General Sullivan finally realized the land attack alone could not penetrate the English line after a last skirmish between the Hessians in Portsmouth, and he was obliged to order a formal retreat. On August 30, the last of the Continental soldiers were removed from the island and the Battle of Rhode Island was over. The British left Rhode Island the following year of their own accord, sailing south to meet General Washington’s forces elsewhere.
As I stated before, Rhode Island executed the first aggressive act against the British government in 1772, and it was the first colony to declare independence on May 4, 1776. Ironically, because it was so adamant about being independent, it was the last colony to ratify the Constitution which joined the colonies in a union, because it was afraid of losing its individual independence.
This independence throughout Rhode Island’s history is captured in the giant golden figure of the Independent Man on top of the State House in Providence.
The Founding Fathers of this great country voted for independence from the British government on July 2, 1776. The Declaration of Independence was a written explanation to their fellow colonists as to why the Continental Congress had voted this way. This document was formerly adopted by Congress on July 4, 1776, but it was not signed until August 2nd.
Now that you know some of the background history of the first state to declare independence, let’s read the reasons why we broke from the overbearing government on July 4, 1776 and became the United States of America.
But instead of listening to one person read the Declaration of Independence, I would like “We the People” to share in the reading. When it is your turn to read, please speak up so all will hear.
https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/declaration-transcript
Now let us say the Pledge to the flag, our symbol of this free nation. But I am asking you to say it a little differently than usual, keeping the true meaning behind the words. It is one nation under God and that should be said without pause, so try to say it that way.
I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
God bless America, land that I love,
Stand beside her and guide her thru the night with a light from above;
From the mountains, to the prairies, to the oceans white with foam,
God bless America, my home, sweet home.
God bless America, my home, sweet home.
I’ve been including a prayer for our country now, per the request of one of the participants. You are welcome to stay for that, but for those who do not, thank you for coming and have a Happy Independence Day!
Almighty God,
We come to honor you this day. We come to acknowledge that you are the only one who can rightly lead and guide our country.
Lord, we lift up prayer for our country.
We ask that you would bless our country with your wisdom, your love, and your compassion. May we be a people who are pursuing you and your plans for us – individually and as a group.
Lord, we lift up prayer for our leaders.
Lord, we ask for blessings on our leaders. May these servants who are in positions of authority take that responsibility seriously and do their very best each day. May they realize their need for you and for your direction. May they hear your voice as they make their decisions, and may they follow your guidance. May they have a passion for people, for truth, and for righteousness.
Lord, we lift up prayer for our troops.
Lord, we ask for blessings on our service men and women. We ask protection for all our men and women in uniform both here and around the world. We are grateful for their service and their dedication to keeping our nation safe. We pray that you will keep them safe.
We thank you for our blessings of life and liberty. May our country continually show love and honor to you. May our dedication to you cause us to reach out to all the other nations and people groups with a strong desire for peace and harmony to be displayed whenever possible.
Amen