got geoint?

Welcome to the Friday’s Food for Thought post. Yes, we know that today is Thursday. But with the holiday weekend coming up, most of us will be prepping for some BBQ action, or lounging by the pool tomorrow. So, what better time to do a FFT post than today? And, July 4th is our absolute favorite holiday. It’s summer time, we get a three-day weekend and we get to celebrate the birth of our great nation. Now, if only it would stop raining in the Northeast we would be in good shape. Scroll down and enjoy!

History of Independence Day
Want to know how this great holiday came about? During the American Revolution, the legal separation of the American colonies from Great Britain occurred on July 2, 1776, when the Second Continental Congress voted to approve a resolution of independence that had been proposed in June by Richard Henry Lee of Virginia. After voting for independence, Congress turned its attention to the Declaration of Independence, a statement explaining this decision, which had been prepared by a Committee of Five, with Thomas Jefferson as its principal author. Congress debated and revised the Declaration, finally approving it on July 4. To learn more click here.

Download The Declaration of Independence
Drafted by Thomas Jefferson between June 11 and June 28, 1776, the Declaration of Independence is at once the nation’s most cherished symbol of liberty and Jefferson’s most enduring monument. And, if you can’t make it to the National Archives to see it in person (we HIGHLY recommend you do this), then you can actually download high-resolution images of the actual document here. Almost as good as the real thing.

The Pledge of Allegiance
Since we seems to be focusing on American history today, we might as well touch upon the Pledge of Allegiance, which was written in 1892 by Francis Bellamy. He was Baptist minister, a Christian socialist, and the cousin of socialist utopian novelist Edward Bellamy. Bellamy’s original “Pledge of Allegiance” was published in the September 8th issue of the popular children’s magazine The Youth’s Companion as part of the National Public-School Celebration of Columbus Day, a celebration of the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’s discovery of America. Read more here.

The History of Fireworks
Even as we all get older, fireworks are still cool and a professional firework show will amaze even the toughest souls. So, did Americans invent fireworks? The answer is no. The earliest documentation of fireworks dates back to 12th century China, where they were first used to frighten away evil spirits with their loud sound and also to pray for happiness and prosperity. America’s earliest settlers brought their enthusiasm for fireworks to the United States. Fireworks and black ash were used to celebrate important events long before the American Revolutionary War.

Fewer Travelers on The Road This Holiday
AAA is expecting 37.1 million people to travel 50 miles or more from home over the weekend. That’s down almost 2 percent from the 37.8 million people who hit the road during the same period last year. The apparent cause: the economy. Only down 2 percent…that is nothing. If it was down 20 percent, then we would be concerned. Another example of the media trying to tie everything back to – and often embellishing — the down economy. Read more here.

Jimi Hendrix Does the “Star-Spangled Banner”
What better way to cap off this post than with the iconic video of the great Jimi Hendrix doing the “Star-Spangled Banner” at Woodstock. Enjoy!

Happy 4th of July!!

Tags: Declaration of Independence, GEOINT, Independence Day, Jimi Hendrix, July 4th, Star Spangled Banner, USGIF