The Real July 4th

Patriotism. Red, white, and blue. Uncle Sam. The Star-Spangled Banner. America. Will Smith; invading aliens.

These are but some of the things that come to mind on Independence Day. Since it's America's birthday, we typically view the Fourth as the most patriotic of holidays. But did you know that today marks the adoption of the Declaration of Independence, but not it's actual signing? Or did you know that the Star-Spangled Banner was written to the tune of a popular drinking song? Looking at our celebrations of the holiday, we can get an interesting view of what it truly means to be American. Here, then, is a play-by-play of my Fourth:

The day begins in Frankfort, Kentucky running the Great Buffalo Chase 5k. (I ran about 15:40...meh, not the greatest race ever.) Many anthropologists argue that the defining trait separating modern humans from our more ape-like ancestors was our ability to run long distances. Of course, the modern footrace comes from the ancient Greek Olympic tradition (but unlike those athletes, I didn't compete naked), and was revived by Frenchman Baron Pierre de Coubertin when he formed the International Olympic Committee in 1894. The first modern Olympic Games were held two years later in Greece.

The race takes places on the campus of the Buffalo Trace bourbon distillery. Bourbon is a truly American drink; in fact, by law, for a liquor to be bourbon, it has to be made in America. Bourbon, however, is our take on whisky liquor, which was first distilled in Ireland and Scotland in the 1400s.

Early in the afternoon I watch the Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest. Later, I look forward to eating my own grilled dogs. The hot dog - a true American delicacy - evolved from the sausage traditions of German and Austrian immigrants. In fact, two of our common nicknames for hot dogs ('frankfurters' or 'wieners') are directly taken from cities in the Old World: Frankfurt, Germany, or Vienna (Wien), Austria.

What hot dog meal would be complete without a side of French fries? While it remains generally unknown who cooked the first modern French fries, it is commonly accepted that they were first introduced in France (duh) or Belgium. The potato has a much more interesting origin story, as it is native not to Europe, but to South America. Potatoes were unknown in Europe until the Spanish conquistadors brought them back from their conquests of the Incas in Peru and Colombia. Potatoes, then, are actually native to the Andean Highlands.

All of this food has to be washed down with a quality local brew. As I've mentioned earlier on this blog, some scholars argue that brewing beer was the driving force behind the creation of complex civilizations in ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt. America's brewing tradition, however, can be directly traced to back to Germany, from which many immigrants brought their food and drink customs. This is especially true in my hometown of Cincinnati, which saw such an influx of German immigrants that one of its most historic neighborhoods is named Over-the-Rhine. Furthermore, America's iconic brewing brand, Anheuser-Busch, isn't actually American anymore; it's owned by a Belgian-Brazilian multinational corporation called InBev.

If and when all this rain stops, I'll be seeing some fireworks after the sun sets. We have the ancient Chinese to thank for these, as they discovered a recipe for gunpowder around 1000 A.D. and soon began exploding them for entertainment and recreation (as well as combat).

Today, of course, celebrates the Declaration of Independence as the birth of the nation. While this work of the Continental Congress was certainly revolutionary for its time, Thomas Jefferson's iconic ideals of the guaranteed rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are paraphrased nearly word-for-word from British philosopher John Locke's theory of the natural rights of life, liberty, and property. In fact, it is often said that the Declaration of Independence (and the American Revolution at large) put into practice what the European Enlightenment thinkers only philosophized about.

It turns out that the Fourth of July is a lot more international than national. So why is July 4th the quintessential American holiday? Because it incorporates the culture and traditions of peoples from all over the globe and incorporates them into a new, unique culture. Scholars call this cultural evolution syncretism.

No matter your skin color or ethnic heritage (unless you happen to be Native American), we are a nation of immigrants. Those various cultures mix and evolve into a new, distinctly American culture. This melting pot (for lack of a less-clichéd term) is what makes America, America.

Happy birthday, USA.