Six on July 4th: People’s History of Fourth of July; Sol Wachtler: America’s good myths; Frederick Douglass on the Fourth of
philip panaritis
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President Grant the gracious: 100 years ago today, he recognized America as an epic team effort
"One hundred fifty years ago today, July 4, 1878, Civil War hero and American President Ulysses S. Grant celebrated the 4th of July in Germany, the first American President to go abroad on an extensive world tour.
In Hamburg, the American Consul toasted the man credited with winning the Civil War and saving the country.
In the midst of the toast, Grant interjected, “I must dissent from one remark of our Consul, to the effect that I saved the country during the recent war.” He stated, “If our country could be saved or ruined by the efforts of any one man, we should not have a country, and we should not be now celebrating our Fourth of July. ...
Nicknamed “the quiet man” because time and again Grant declined to speak at public events, on that long-ago July 4th Grant offered a spontaneous dissent that revealed his true character.
Grant continued, “What saved the Union was the coming forward of the young men of the nation. They came from their homes and fields.” He concluded, “the humblest soldier who carried a musket is entitled to as much credit for the results of the war as those who were in command.” Grant turned around the American Consul’s toast to offer credit to ordinary citizen-soldiers.
The 4th of July is a day of remembrance — with parades and concerts — and Grant’s example is an excellent opportunity to take the measure of the present. We are living in a self-referential culture. The “I alone can fix it” President, unable to give credit to his Republican and Democratic predecessors, is a radical departure from our foremost leaders who time and again referenced the contributions of others.
Grant’s dissent at Hamburg was really an assent. He pointed away from himself to assent the sacrifices of ordinary Americans who, he contended, made the continuing celebration of the America’s Independence Day possible. His example offers a lesson to present and future American leaders in how to celebrate July 4th."
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It was the 4th of July and they were celebrating it in a Florida prison.
"In one of his first official acts upon taking office, President Trump designated the day of his inauguration a “National Day of Patriotic Devotion.” While it’s not unusual for incoming presidents to issue symbolic proclamations, Trump’s choice of words reflected the extreme nationalism of a White House that “seriously considered” an inaugural parade with military tanks rolling down the streets of Washington, D.C. “A new national pride stirs the American soul and inspires the American heart,” he proclaimed.
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As George Orwell once wrote, however, “Nationalism is not to be confused with patriotism.” And nearly six months into Trump’s presidency, it seems especially fitting on this Fourth of July to reflect on the meaning of patriotism and to consider how one can be patriotic during such deeply troubling times for the country.
Throughout our history, American patriotism too commonly has been associated with uniform praise for the military and uncritical support for war, along with a visceral belief in America’s “greatness” that provided the rhetorical foundation for Trump’s campaign. Especially in times of conflict — from the Spanish-American War to Vietnam to Iraq and Afghanistan — those who dare to dissent have frequently met with public scorn and shouts of disloyalty. Protest, too often, has been deemed unpatriotic.
But there is also a different view, which defines patriotism as working to ensure the country lives up to its highest ideals. That view inspired the Nation magazine, which has amplified dissenting voices ever since its founding by abolitionists, to publish a special issue on patriotism for its 125th anniversary in July 1991. As the dust was settling on the Persian Gulf War, dozens of progressive writers, activists, scholars and leaders shared personal reflections on the topic, many of which feel particularly relevant today.
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