Happy 4th of July to all my fellow dissenters to oppression and corruption!
Today we celebrate the day that the 13 British-American Colonies declared independence from British rule and give reverence to the continuation of dissent and opposition to all oppression and corruption.
234 years ago today, the 4th of July, the 13 Colonies' 'Day of Independence', was not the birth of the United States of America but rather the proclamation that the 13 Colonies were no longer under British rule. This day is the 'line in the sand' that was the beginning of the (semi-)organized physical resistance to British rule. This is the day that the Delegates of the 13 Colonies put their 'dissension', their commitment to 'treason', to 'sedition', their 'mutiny', their all-out resistance, in writing because the then current British government was unreasonably oppressive and deeply corrupt all the way back to tyrannical King George III.
Though the Articles of Confederation were created in 1777, our United States of America's was not “born” until a Constitutional Convention was called to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on September 17, 1787, whereby the result was the Constitution of the United States. The new Federal government then came into existence in March of 1789.
So, the birth of the USA was not July 4, 1776 but rather no earlier than September 17, 1787, which was 11 years, two months, and 13 days later.
See:
http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/
http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/ourdocs/Constitution.html
http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/ourdocs/NewNation.html
See also:
http://www.history.com/topics/july-4th
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_United_States
http://www.lifeslittlemysteries.com/when-was-the-4th-of-july-first-celebrated-0443/