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    Popp Culture

    Happy 2nd of July! John Adams gave me premium cable, the least we can do iscelebrate the proper day

    Steve Popp
    Jul 2, 2010 | 2:26 pm
    • John Adams — shown in HBO's version — knew the real deal on Independence Day.
    • Without John Adams, Steve Popp never would have been introduced to the wonder ofHBO.
    • The Oneida Indian nation deserves much more credit for its role in America'sfight for independence.
    • It's not just about the fireworks.
      Photo by Amyn Kassam

    Every Fourth of July, I give thanks to John Adams for helping to facilitate our difficult separation from Great Britain. Recently, I've been thanking him for prompting me to subscribe to HBO.

    Just a few years ago, I was content with a rather pedestrian cable subscription.

    Yet that all changed in 2008, when news broke that HBO was producing a mini-series based on David McCullough’s best-selling book John Adams.

    The prospect of a seven-part program on this “colossus of independence” not only electrified the dork community in which I reside, it made evident both my right and my duty to break free from basic cable and instead order a decadent selection of premium channels.

    Call it a shallow pursuit of happiness.

    While I thoroughly enjoyed Paul Giamatti’s brilliant performance in the series, I likewise appreciated how John Adams helped bring renewed attention to the importance of the American Revolution and the struggle for independence.

    Yet despite the series, there are still some lingering misunderstandings about the Fourth of July and the events that led the 13 colonies to be “absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown.”

    Happy Second of July?

    In addition to crediting John Adams for my current cable selection, I blame John Adams for “forcing” me to start celebrating our nation’s birthday on July 2nd.

    After all, it was Adams who envisaged July 2nd as “the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America.” Writing to his wife Abigail, Adams believed that July 2nd “ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires, and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more."

    Buzz off, Brits

    Acclaimed historian and Revolutionary War expert Dr. James Kirby Martin, a professor at the University of Houston, offered an explanation of this discrepancy in dates as well as other insights into the events that created our nation of “free and independent states.”

    “There's a difference between declaring independence and approving the Declaration of Independence,” Martin explained. “Declaring independence from Great Britain occurred in the Continental Congress on July 2, when delegates from 12 colonies voted for separation and one delegation (New York) abstained.”

    “Once that vote had taken place,” Martin continued, “the delegates turned to the matter of discussing and voting for the draft Declaration, written mostly by Thomas Jefferson but with some assistance from John Adams and Benjamin Franklin.”

    Then, according to Martin, after Jefferson completed the Declaration, “the delegates pored over the draft, making several small adjustments in wording.” They likewise cut out some of Jefferson’s original passages, including “the proposed clause that blamed slavery on the king, which was absurd.”

    Once edited, “the unanimous vote for the Declaration occurred on the 4th, with the first public reading on the 9th, and delegates affixing their signatures into August.”

    This explains both Adams’ view on July 2nd and our celebration of July 4th, as “there were two declarations, and it took more than a month to complete the whole process.”

    Yet according to Martin, we rightfully celebrate on the 4th. “Our celebrations on the 4th make good sense,” as it is “one of the key dates in the process of telling the British home government to, well, buzz off.”

    Forgotten Allies

    Martin is author of a number of books on the American Revolution, including a compelling biography of Benedict Arnold. His most recent book on the era, however, focuses on the Oneida Indians and their contributions in the American Revolution.

    Martin wrote Forgotten Allies: The Oneida Indians and the American Revolution, with co-author Joseph T. Glatthaar, to tell “the story of true Americans, in this case Oneida Indians, heretofore left out of our national history.” In the book Martin detailed how the Oneida Indians “also fought on behalf of American liberty, but gained virtually nothing for their efforts, except a forgotten place in our historical memories.”

    From his research on both the rank and file soldier and the contributions of the Oneida, Martin concluded that “the Revolution, in its many phases and outcomes, was much more complex than just a matter of great numbers of hardy freehold farmers rising up and giving their all until the British had finally been beaten.”

    Facts are Stubborn Things

    Martin also illustrated that contrary to popular imagination, "only a few did the actual fighting” during the war itself.

    "After the first few months of fighting in 1775," Martin noted, "most colonists wanted nothing to do with Continental military service. George Washington struggled to keep an army in the field and did so by ultimately depending on poorer, disadvantaged folk with marginal prospects in life and even slaves substituting for their masters.”

    So if you are going to raise a glass this Fourth of July, raise it to the “real Continentals who made those horrific sacrifices of long-term Continental service for the many in the Revolutionary populace.” They are indeed “the people who should be especially remembered as we celebrate the 4th and our liberties each year.”

    unspecified
    news/city-life

    flag-waving news

    Texas drops on new list of most patriotic states in U.S.

    Amber Heckler
    Jun 19, 2025 | 3:30 pm
    American flag, Texas flag, patriotism
    Photo by Ray Shrewsberry on Unsplash
    Texas ranked a dismal No. 45 this year after previously ranking as the 36th most patriotic state in 2024.

    This may come as a surprise for many Texans, but the Lone Star State is far from being the most patriotic place in America, according to a new report.

    WalletHub's latest study ranking the "Most Patriotic States in America" for 2025 placed Texas near the bottom of the list as No. 45, marking a significant nine-place drop from its rank as the 36th most patriotic state in 2024.

    According to the findings, the three most patriotic states in America are Virginia (No. 1), Montana (No. 2), and Vermont (No. 3). Colorado (No. 4) and Oregon (No. 5) round out the top five most passionate, flag-waving states in 2025.

    Texas flopped toward the bottom mainly due to its civic engagement rank (No. 47), but it did perform fairly well in the military engagement category (No. 13).

    Texas has the third-highest average number of military enlistees, the report found, but it had the second-lowest percentage of adults who voted in the 2024 presidential election.

    WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said patriotism can't be defined by geographic region or by which states fly the most American flags. Rather, true patriotism can be found in states with high voter turnouts, high volunteer rates, and more.

    “The most patriotic states have a lot of residents who serve or have served in the armed forces, high voter turnouts during elections, and a high share of the population volunteering with national or local organizations," Lupo said.

    States like Virginia and Montana ranked at the top of the list due to their high voter turnout rates during the 2024 presidential election, plus high volunteer rates in local or national organizations. Virginia is also home to the third-highest population of active-duty military personnel per 100,000 civilians, and there are 27 military bases in the state.

    The report further acknowledges that many Americans may not be feeling very patriotic this year because of "societal issues" that span from "relentless high inflation" to tragedies like mass shootings.

    "Many people may find it hard to celebrate a country where countless people are struggling and frequent violence persists," the report's author wrote. "However, an expression of love for fellow citizens is patriotic in itself."

    Joining Texas among the least patriotic American states are Florida (No. 46), Alabama (No. 47), Louisiana (No. 48), New York (No. 49), and Arkansas (No. 50).

    The top 10 most patriotic states in America are:

    • No. 1 – Virginia
    • No. 2 – Montana
    • No. 3 – Vermont
    • No. 4 – Colorado
    • No. 5 – Oregon
    • No. 6 – Washington
    • No. 7 – North Dakota
    • No. 8 – Maryland
    • No. 9 – Minnesota
    • No. 10 – New Hampshire
    The report analyzed all 50 states across 13 "indicators of patriotism" based on military and civic engagement, including factors such as the rate of veterans living in each state for every 1,000 civilians; the share of adults who voted in the 2024 presidential election and the 2020 primary elections; the number of AmeriCorps volunteers per capita, and more.
    texaswallethubreportspatriotism
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