In 1776, the Continental Congress was the governing body of the 13 American colonies.[i] By July 4th, the Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence. This document spelled out the reasons why the colonies wanted to separate from Great Britain and create a new, independent, and united country. Among the reasons was a series of laws and taxes imposed on the colonists. Yet the colonists had no representation in the British Parliament leading to the cry, “taxation without representation…”
The stage had been set for the colonies to fight for their independence. With the help of France and Spain, America fought and gained independence. A new democracy was born.[ii]
Why is this important?
Why do we need to know this?
Today, the U.S. Congress honored the police officers who defended the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, with Congressional Gold Medals. According to history.house.gov, since the American Revolution, Congressional Gold Medals have served as the “highest expression of national appreciation for distinguished achievements and contributions.”[iii]
But there are those, even elected officials, who minimize what had happened on January 6th, even equating the January 6th riots with the American Revolution. Some refer to the rioters as patriots, not out of a sense of history but for political expedience. Still, there are those who claim that any lost election is a stolen election, though they never seem to present the necessary evidence to prove such a claim.
In a December 2, 2021 CNN article, Marshall Cohen wrote about the sentencing of a person who participated in the riots. The judge during sentencing stated, “… In 1776, the people who went on to form a democracy didn’t do that at the urging of a single head of state …”. The Judge continued, “The point of 1776 was to let people decide … but that the point of the January 6th riots was “to substitute the will of the people with the will of the mob.”[iv]
Our democracy was threatened, even wounded, but continues to survive, and our Constitution remains intact.
Be Informed
Be Engaged
Be Involved
[i] https://history.state.gov/milestones/1776-1783/continental-congress
[ii] https://www.britannica.com/event/American-Revolution
[iii] https://history.house.gov/Institution/Gold-Medal/Gold-Medal-Recipients/
[iv] https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/02/politics/january-6-andrew-wrigley/index.html