As we get ready to celebrate Independence Day in the US today my husband and I spent the morning looking over some of our antique books in our library that we collected that give a historical account of the Revolutionary War.

We have a two-book volume set that was published only 60 years after the war and gives perspectives from the American and British sides. Reading a historical account written over a hundred years ago when the war was still fresh in the minds of many people and when soldiers and politicians were still living gives us such a unique insight into the history.

Imagine being able to read a book about World War 2 and be able to talk to veterans about the war, it was similar with this set of books. that insight gave me a new perspective on our independence.

Another book I was reading was a historical account from the perspective of Martha Washington also published over 100 years ago.

As we read our books we shared our insights of the new tidbits we learned, for example, most Brittains did not want a war with America and there were members of parliament who wanted to give in to the original demands. The UK went into a war they knew they would never win.

While we celebrate our Independence on July 4th the actual decision was made on July 2nd and it was made official on July 6th. The war did not end until a couple more years after that. We as a people did not go into the war with Independence being the goal it was what we were forced into when the British Empire did not relent.

So today we celebrate our forefathers and all the sacrifices that were made for us to have our freedom.