On July 5th, 1776, the hard work began in earnest.
The first battles of the Revolutionary War had already been fought, of course — Lexington and Concord was back on April 19th, 1775 — but the unified effort did not begin right away. The Continental Congress approved the move for independence on the 2nd of July, 1776, and signed the Declaration on the 4th, but independence still had to be won. It would not be easy, it would not be free, and the outcome was far from certain.
(Image: “Declaration of Independence,” by John Trumbull (1819), from Wikimedia Commons.)
So, on this July 5th, a question inspired by my 11th grade English teacher, James “Dog” Parker:
To what will you pledge your life, fortune, and sacred honor?
Once we answer that, our hard work begins.
Press on!
by 
Always, from humble beginnings.
Very true! Thanks,
G
My immediate thought was of “Dog” Parker; a unique individual.
I figure many of our classmates would recall his farewell gift! My copy is on the shelf in eyeshot of my desk.
Thanks!
G