The 4th of July is a day filled with backyard barbecues and nighttime fireworks displays. Americans come together to celebrate our nation’s birth each summer, but many miss the point. We are celebrating the anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, but few Americans have even read it.
The Declaration of Independence was signed amid the Revolutionary War as colonists sought to declare their independence from Britain. It also listed the grievances against Britain. On July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was officially adopted, and from that year forward, Americans have always celebrated July 4th as Independence Day.
The History Channel explains, “Festivities including concerts, bonfires, parades and the firing of cannons and muskets usually accompanied the first public readings of the Declaration of Independence, beginning immediately after its adoption. Philadelphia held the first annual commemoration of independence on July 4, 1777, while Congress was still occupied with the ongoing war.”
But, as years have passed, many people have lost sight of exactly what they are celebrating--American independence! Even if you have not read the Declaration of Independence in its entirety (which you should), you likely recognize the preamble.
“We hold these truths to be self-evident; that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness; that to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.”
Yet in 2020, do you feel as if you truly enjoy “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”? Unfortunately, many Americans do not feel free or independent. They are stuck relying on the government or others – especially when facing a crisis.
At My Patriot Supply, our goal is to help Americans achieve independence through preparedness and self-reliance. We believe that true patriotism is not the expectation that others will care for your needs, but that freedom comes from attaining a certain level of self-reliance.
On this Independence Day, we encourage you to contemplate ways you can achieve personal independence through practicing preparedness like our Founding Fathers did.
Our Founding Fathers understood freedom comes at a cost – but a price worth paying
Our Founding Fathers understood freedom comes at a cost, but they felt American independence was a price worth paying. As Forbes explains,
“They knew it was unprecedented; they knew their opponent was much stronger than they; they understood the military, financial, and diplomatic difficulties of what they were undertaking. They did it anyway. Every single man who signed the Declaration of Independence believed that he was signing his own death warrant, but signed anyway.”
Likewise, personal independence comes at a cost. When you choose to be self-reliant, there will be people who do not understand. They may question why you want to rely on yourself when the government takes care of you. They may see the steps you take toward personal independence as extreme. The keyword here is personal. This is your personal decision to live differently so that when a crisis arises, you will be prepared to stand on your own two feet.
Declare your food independence
At My Patriot Supply, we say, “It’s not just food, it’s freedom.” This has been true since America declared its independence. When you know how to grow, catch, can, store, and hunt your own food, you achieve food independence. This means that you do not rely on a grocery store, restaurant, food bank, or government to sustain you.
Today’s Americans can become food independent using many of the same tactics as those living during the Revolutionary War. For example, our Founding Fathers grew their own food and ate what could be foraged or hunted, with seafood being especially popular. Gardening is one of the true long-term preparedness solutions. A Survival Seed Vault can help you get started and allow you to harvest and reuse seeds the next season.
The Founding Fathers also understood the importance of conserving, storing, and preserving food. They had to make sure their food supplies would last through brutal winters and war battles. Since we don’t know the next time we will face a national emergency that will make getting food difficult, we offer a variety of emergency survival food options that have a shelf life of up to 25 years. As the recent pandemic has shown, grocery store chains can be depleted of essentials in a matter of days.
Declare your water independence
Drinking a beer this 4th of July is a historically accurate way to celebrate the holiday. Smithsonian Magazine writes, “The Founders, like most colonists, were fans of adult beverages. Colonial Americans drank roughly three times as much as modern Americans, primarily in the form of beer, cider, and whiskey.”
However, there was a very important reason our Founding Fathers drank alcohol regularly – they did not have access to clean water. “Potable water was scarce in colonial times, so almost all of what was available carried harmful diseases. […] Put simply, consuming alcohol was, in the absence of clean drinking water, a means of staying hydrated.”
Today, we understand the dangers of drinking both non-potable water and too much alcohol. Unfortunately, there are still times today when even our public water is deemed unsafe to drink. That’s why it is important to consider ways to make yourself water independent. Being water independent means understanding how to make clean water in an emergency and investing in water filtration supplies.
Declare your financial independence
America’s Founding Fathers understood the importance of financial independence. They were against debt and spending above one’s means. They worked hard to earn money and, even then, only spent what they could afford. Check out some of these quotes from our Founding Fathers about financial independence.
“A penny saved is a penny earned.” ~ Benjamin Franklin
“Never spend your money before you have earned it.” ~ Thomas Jefferson
“We must consult our means rather than our wishes.” ~ George Washington
Talking about money makes us uncomfortable, and, typically, that is because we aren’t good with it. This is a problem for those seeking true freedom. For example, if you are in debt, you are not free. You are tied to the people you owe money to. If you live paycheck to paycheck, you are tied to your job. This isn’t what freedom looks like. No matter how much money you make, if you do not know how to save and spend appropriately, you will never achieve true freedom.
Declare your crisis independence
In addition to declaring your food, water, and financial independence, you also need to declare your crisis independence. When an emergency happens, you need to be ready and prepared in advance. With threats of cities disbanding police protections, this is more important than ever before.
The ultimate goal of preparedness is to prepare to survive a crisis. As founding father Benjamin Franklin said, “By failing to prepare, you are prepared to fail.” This means learning survival skills and stocking up on survival essentials, including first aid supplies, weather radios, solar chargers, candles, and emergency blankets.
Happy Independence Day, friends! And please, stay alert.
In liberty,
Grant Miller
Preparedness Advisor, My Patriot Supply