By Amber Tueller
I find myself thoughtful and reflective when considering the two and a half centuries of our great nation!
It is momentous to be commemorating our 250th year along with Colorado’s statehood and the Town of Parker’s original charter. Looking back through history, where do we fit in?
During the Revolutionary War, Colorado was a very different setting, far from the conflict in both distance and lifestyle. The Front Range was home to several Native American tribes. Colorado would not become part of the country for a number of decades. In the mid 1800s, when more settlers came to Colorado for the gold rush on Pikes Peak, the foundation of Denver began. By 1876, in the 100th year of our nation, Colorado became part of the Union. Soon before, Parker was established as a stagecoach stop in the mid 1860s, just 20 miles south of Denver. More than a hundred years later and 45 years ago, Parker was incorporated in 1981, being a mostly agricultural town at the time. It has grown to be an extraordinary spot for family and community.
As we celebrate these significant anniversaries, I want to look back at the beginnings of this holiday. Early America celebrated the first anniversary of the 4th of July, even while the Revolutionary War continued. They set the tone and tradition for the culture that we still enjoy today.
“…ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It 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.”
John Adams to Abigail Adams, July 3, 1776
The July 5, 1777, issue of the Pennsylvania Evening Post reported, “Yesterday the 4th of July, being the anniversary of the Independence of the United States of America, was celebrated in this city with demonstrations of joy and festivity. About noon all the armed ships and gallies in the river were drawn up before the city, dressed in the gayest manner, with the colors of the United States and streamers displayed. At one o’clock … they began the celebration of the day by a discharge of thirteen cannon from each of the ships… in honor of the Thirteen United States … The evening was closed with the ringing of bells, and at night there was a grand exhibition of fireworks … on the Commons, and the city was beautifully illuminated.”
When George Washington was about to step down from his presidency, he was one of the first men in all of history to show a peaceful transfer of power from one leader to the next, outside of assuming a throne through inheritance. After his second term in office, despite many wanting him to stay for a third, he handed the presidency over to John Adams, exemplifying Republican ideals and denouncing the notion of one man leading for life. After giving so much of his life and love to his country, in his farewell address to the nation in the fall of 1796, the father of our nation talked about patriotism. He said, “Citizens by birth or choice of a common country, that country has a right to concentrate your affections. The name of American, which belongs to you, in your national capacity, must always exalt the just pride of Patriotism, more than any appellation derived from local discriminations.”
More important than being a Coloradan, or a Texan, from Parker or Castle Rock, our love for our great nation should rise above and unite us all! Joy, loyalty, and reverence for what we are part of should be seen in our actions and celebrations. So many have sacrificed to create this land of liberty from the very beginning until today. Whenever I see the American flag passing by at a parade with spectators standing to put their hand over their heart, I am moved.
It has been so intriguing and heartwarming to see people from other countries visiting our cities this summer for the World Cup. Their love of and fascination with so many things that are everyday norms to us makes me think that we need to renew our gratitude for this special place. We are not a perfect nation, but the first of our kind and certainly one to be loved and honored! I am so proud and grateful to be an American.
