1776 the musical (film) was our entertainment last night

At the Estates last night, a large group enjoyed the movie, "1776 The Musical" (1972), adapted from an earlier stage play, which was adapted from the history of the drafting and writing/approval of the Declaration of Independence. I hadn't seen it during the bicentennial, and really enjoyed it. I found it about as accurate as a film could be for something adapted from a book/play adapted from actual history. After all, one could fill a library with important books on this event and biographies of all the people of the Continental Congress. Some critics of the time complained the timeline was wrong--too condensed.

So, I checked this "wrong timeline" idea with the Library of Congress which noted there were numerous drafts then 5 men who worked on it, and then about a week when the whole group met. Considering what we get today as "news," I'd call this accurate.

"Thomas Jefferson drafted the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia behind a veil of Congressionally imposed secrecy in June 1776 for a country wracked by military and political uncertainties. In anticipation of a vote for independence, the Continental Congress on June 11 appointed Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert R. Livingston as a committee to draft a declaration of independence. The committee then delegated Thomas Jefferson to undertake the task. Jefferson worked diligently in private for days to compose a document. Proof of the arduous nature of the work can be seen in the fragment of the first known composition draft of the declaration, which is on public display here for the first time.

Jefferson then made a clean or "fair" copy of the composition declaration, which became the foundation of the document, labeled by Jefferson as the "original Rough draught." Revised first by Adams, then by Franklin, and then by the full committee, a total of forty-seven alterations including the insertion of three complete paragraphs was made on the text before it was presented to Congress on June 28. After voting for independence on July 2, the Congress then continued to refine the document, making thirty-nine additional revisions to the committee draft before its final adoption on the morning of July 4 . . ." https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/declara/declara3.html

We've been having a film series for the 250th anniversary celebration.

From the Ross Report, an investment newsletter

"It is very clear we are now in a situation where the Democrats will do anything to win, and to destroy their opposition. The timing of announcing the indictment was set to offset the evening news about the FBI memo on Biden so the mainstream media could ignore the Biden story. It is clear the Biden family has been bribed, and is totally corrupt. The guy who bribed Joe has it on tape. The Ukrainian accountant for Burisma who had direct knowledge suddenly died. It is clear the Clintons are very dirty and Hilary should be in jail. She had the illegal server and destroyed evidence under subpoena, but she walked away. The Clintons pocketed tens of millions in what were essentially bribes run through the foundation. It is just a question of, is Biden dirtier than the Clintons?  Obama took docs and refused to turn them over -no action against him. The nation has now become a corrupt cesspool controlled by very dangerous people who will stop at nothing to retain power and destroy those who try to stop them.

While there have been corrupt people in power before, and other underhanded acts, this series of attacks on Trump and phony claims like Russia Gate, and the impeachments, are the worst in modern history. It rivals the Continental Congress [which] tried to undermine Washington at Valley Forge to get rid of him. It is far from clear where this goes. Much of the charges against Trump in this latest attack are going to get dismissed as they come under the civil law of the Records Act. The one place he has a real issue is his intentional obstruction, and the showing of material to reporters.

The Durham report is damning about how the Democrats, and the FBI, and DOJ schemed to get Trump, but it is unfortunate he never brought indictments. Why we do not know. What we did see was the mainstream media push aside Durham as nothing new when in fact, it is a massive scandal. The nation is in a very dangerous place now, and how all of this unfolds, and who will be the next president is totally unclear. With the mainstream media covering up for Biden, and all out attacking Trump like they did with Russia, it is unclear what the vast number of voters will understand about what is really happening. The media continue to be heavily biased and dishonest. I believe this case will harm Trump with enough voters that he will not be the nominee. One of his most diehard supporters told me yesterday even he has had it with Trump. Barr has explained that he did not indict Biden because at that time there was barely any real evidence and it was still being investigated, and so he turned it over to a US Attorney to dig in. Then he left office and the Biden White House has managed to bury the FBI investigation. Barr did not determine there was no case as has been falsely stated by some Democrats and the press. Truth was the opposite. He did not have near enough then to indict Joe. That is all changed now with the Republicans pursuing what DOJ did not pursue." Ross Report, June 19, 2023

Continental Congress Thanksgiving Proclamation

The first proclamation in the independent United States was issued by John Hancock as President of the Continental Congress as a day of fasting on March 16, 1776. The first national Thanksgiving was celebrated on December 18, 1777, and the Continental Congress issued National Thanksgiving Day proclamations each year between 1778 and 1784. The one I read today for my devotions was The Congressional Thanksgiving Proclamation of 1779. An on-line search reveals many such proclamations, including those from colonies, states, Congress and presidents. The importance of God comes and goes in these government documents, with President Trump the winner with 29 in only one term. Nixon and Ford didn't mention God at all in one of theirs. In number, because he had 4 terms, FDR said the most about God in Thanksgiving proclamations. But over the years, the theme of the Thanksgiving proclamations from our Presidents shifted from thanking and petitioning God to extolling American values.

(from the 1779 document) " . . . to beseech him that he would be graciously pleased to influence our public councils, and bless them with wisdom from on high, with unanimity, firmness, and success; that he would go forth with our hosts and crown our arms with victory; that he would grant to his Church the plentiful effusions of divine grace, and pour out his Holy Spirit on all ministers of the Gospel; that he would bless and prosper the means of education, and spread the light of Christian knowledge through the remotest corners of the earth; . . . "