4th July History

In the early 18th century the United States was, in fact, a collection of colonies, which was ruled by the British Empire.

The British started colonization of America in 1607 in Jamestown, Virginia.

The colonies weren’t in a state of crisis... conversely they were relatively prosperous. The colonies weren’t united nor did they have any motivation for being independent. Benjamin Franklin’s call for unity with the Albany Plan of Union in 1754 to bring the colonial rivals together was met with very little enthusiasm and died an untimely death.

A lot changed in the next decade.

In 1763 Britain decided to take more control over the colonies.  They imposed taxes on colonies on the pretext that they were to pay for their defense that was being provided by the British. The citizens of these colonies felt unfairly taxed, always being watched over, and no heed was given to their grievances.

Voices got louder for “no taxation without representation”, as the citizens believed they weren’t being represented in the Parliament and shouldn’t have to pay taxes.

When Britain ignored these voices and continued to impose taxes, the colonies pushed the British government to recognize their rights with the First Continental Congress. When this fell through, gradually the American Revolution was born.

A second Continental Congress was formed during the American Revolution.

This group adopted the final draft of the Declaration of Independence.

The Declaration of Independence was written by Thomas Jefferson, and revised by Ben Franklin, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson before being sent to Congress for approval.
The Declaration of Independence was unanimously adopted by all 13 colonies on July 4, 1776.

And since then we celebrate the birth of America with a range of festivities… fireworks light up the sky, there are parades, concerts and family gatherings with barbecues at local parks.

We should always remember the pain our forefathers went through to hand us down the legacy of such a great country.  There were around 6,800 American patriots killed in battle during the American War of Independence.  

Even post-independence whenever our military men have been asked to serve our country, be it Vietnam, Korea, Iraq or Afghanistan they’ve always made us proud.

If you’ve been thinking of gifting your loved ones with a part of American history, Vetcom has launched a range of US veteran commemorative watches to choose from.

A rare gem in the collection is the U.S. Military War Veterans Birthstone watch, that’s made here in the United States. It boasts a water resistant case and adjustable dress bracelet, both decorated with 23 Karat Gold. Your personal monogram and five birthstones are featured below the dial.

We have something for every military enthusiast… be it Army, Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy or Coast Guard.  

Gift or own a piece of American history, check out our store here.

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