¤ Happy 4th of July! ¤

I figured that because you were in Philadelphia for the 4th, you needed a little bit of Americana as a special treat.

Philadelphia – founded first for conquest (of the Swedes, nonetheless) and then for religious freedom, Philadelphia is a great place to be. It is home of the first printed school book in the colonies, and the first American-made printing press. Benjamin Franklin first moved to Philadelphia in 1723 to work as a printer when he was just 17 years old. The first fire insurance company started there too. Philly boasts the first public parks in the US, the first brick house, first almanac, paper mill, public school system, fire engine, public library, hospital, science institution, American printed Bible, lightning rod, American-made bell, arctic exploration voyage, medical school, permanent theater, small pox vaccinations, US manufactured piano, US flag by Elizabeth (Betsy) Ross, public bank, national bank, daily newspaper, steam boat, law school, stock exchange, carpet factory, Federal mint for making coins, waterworks, carbonator, Academy of fine arts, railroad, telegraphs, gas pipes, pharmacy, zoo, World’s Fair, treatise against slavery, fire department, and not least impressive, the pneumatic tube seen in bank drive-throughs.

Philly started many great and wonderful things, including our nation.

The Continental Congress met there to decide the fate of these little colonies. It was there in Philadelphia that the Declaration of Independence was signed. The British attacked in 1777, but were driven out of the city in 1778. Finally, in 1787, the constitution was written in Philly.

Your beautiful city was not our nation’s first capital though. That would be New York City. Philly was the second, followed by the current Washington, D.C.

When Benjamin Franklin died, he wished to be buried in Christ Church Cemetery. He had written his own epitaph six years before his death. It reads:

The body of
B. Franklin, printer
(Like the cover of an old Book
Its contents torn out
And stripped of its lettering and gilding)
Lies here, food for worms.
But the work shall not be lost,
For it will (as he believ'd) appear once more
In a new and More elegant Edition
Revised and corrected
By the Author.

Beautiful, yeah?

But there is something more I wish to give you to help you celebrate the birth of our nation. It’s a partial list of your ancestors who were Revolutionary War veterans:

7th Great Grandfather David Nevins

7th Great Grandfather Corporal John Phelps

7th Great Grandfather Private Zebulon Farren (Ferrin)

6th Great Grandfather Captain Jacob Hall

6th Great Grandfather Corporal Zaccheus Clough

5th Great Grandfather Major Reading Blount

6th Great Grandfather Colonel Miles Harvey

5th Great Grandfather Gershom Hinckley

6th Great Grandfather David Sessions

6th Great Grandfather Enoch Bartlett

5th Great Grandfather Colonel Philip Tilton

5th Great Grandfather Private Gideon Burdick
(Guard and scout under General Benedict Arnold)

Not fighting (that I could find record of) but a true patriot who signed the Association Test (a loyalty oath to the Patriots)

6th Great Grandfather Job Runnells

There may be others, but these those whom I could find evidence. Their great deeds and heroism helped build our nation. I have all the sources where I got this information and exactly how they’re related to you elsewhere, but that will remain for another time. Just enjoy the red and white blood cells flowing through your blue veins and have a wonderful 4th! God bless America!!!

Oh yeah – before you get too cocky about being descended from so many heroes, I found two of your ancestors that fought for the British. Again, there may be more.

Your 4th Great Grandfather Peter Anthony Woolf was a Hessian. Those were German soldiers paid by the British to fight for them. He liked America so much that he stayed after the fighting was done.

Your 7th Great Grandfather James Pennock was a Loyalist. Although raised in the States (born on a boat crossing the ocean), he fought on the side of the British. He didn’t want his country run by a bunch of rabble rousers and street thugs. Hard to say that he was wrong. Hee hee.