Independence Day is more than just fireworks and barbecue. It's about celebrating the brith of America! How was America celebrated? When was America first celebrated as a new nation?
It was July 4, 1776 when the Declaration of Independence was signed by the Founding Fathers we know and love, and declared that the 13 colonies were no longer under British rule. That was how America became a nation.
Technically it was July 2, 1776 that Congress had voted to declare independence. 2 days later it was officially declared.
So who should we thank who made America what it is today? Not only do we thank George Washington and hs Continental Army as well as the Founding Fathers who truly believed that America should be a free country, but also we should thank the militias and soldiers who sacrificed their lives to give America freedom and liberty.
So far in my blog I posted about the DeHaven family (Peter, Samuel, and Jacob and their families) who played a huge part during the Revolutionary War.
RECAP: The DeHaven Brothers of Blue Bell
Peter DeHaven (1722-1816):
Born in Philadelphia
Owned a plantation close to Valley Forge
Furnished supplies to the Continental Army; owned tanneries who provided shoes for the Army (cordwainer)
Operated 3 gun factories in and near Philadelphia: One on 3rd and Cherry St, second on the French Creek, and third in Hummelstown. One was captured by the British; another was moved to avoid capture
Had one son: Hugh DeHaven, who assisted his father with the gun factories
"Conducted the public gun factories and powder mills of Pennsylvania, and in 1776 was ordered by the Council of Safety to make public the process of boring gun barrels. He declined to be agent for forfeited estates but aided the army by purchasing hay for winter quarters."
Samuel DeHaven (1724-1815):
Born in Whitpain Township
Was a private
Served 1st Class under Captain Abraham Wentz of the 6th Battalion, 2nd Company
Served in the Philadelphia Co. Militia, 1st Battalion, 5th Company
Contributed his fortune ($17,000) for the sufferers at Valley Forge
Father to John and Moses DeHaven, who also fought in the Revolutionary War
Jacob DeHaven (1730-1812):
Born in Germantown
Most distinguished of the brothers
Married to Marcy VanPelt with no children; considered a bachelor
Aided George Washington and his troops with money in Valley Forge
Lived with his brother William until his death in 1784, then with his brother Samuel, until Jacob's death in 1812
"He lent the Government $50,000 in gold and what his descendants estimate to be another $400,000 in supplies. The Continental Army survived the winter at Valley Forge, and when the war was over, Jacob DeHaven apparently tried several times to collect what was owed to him. He died penniless in 1812... He did leave behind his story, and it was handed from one generation to the next. Every decade or two there have been attempts by someone in the growing clan to collect the debt, worth over $100 billion in today’s dollars. But the courts have ruled that the statute of limitations has expired."
The DeHaven brothers and their families were examples of them fighting for America's freedom and independence.
Please celebrate those who fought to fight for America's freedom and independence. Even those after the Revolutionary War.
Happy Birthday America!!!!
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