Thomas Jefferson and John Adams died on July 4, 1826, exactly 50 years after the adoption of the Declaration of Independence by the Second Continental Congress,
On July 4, 1997, Charles Kuralt died. A journalist for CBS, he had a passion for America and American history. During the Bicentennial in 1976, he prepared a segment for The CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite that remains the best "news report" of what happened in Philadelphia 200 years earlier:
Another wonderful interpretation of the tensions before the vote is the song Is Anybody There? from the award-winning Broadway musical 1776, which airs at 2 pm today on Turner Classic Movies:
Is Anybody There?"
From the musical "1776"
Music and lyrics by Sherman Edwards
John Adams:
Is anybody there?
Does anybody care?
Does anybody see what I see?
They want to me to quit.
They say, "John, give up the fight."
Still
to England I say:
Good night, forever, good night!
For I have crossed the Rubicon,
Let the bridge be burned behind me,
Come
what may, come what may.
Commitment!
The croakers all say we'll rue the day,
There'll be hell to pay in
fiery purgatory.
Through all the gloom, through all the gloom,
I
can see the rays of ravishing light and glory!
Is anybody there?
Does anybody care?
Does anybody see what I see?
I see fireworks!
I see the pageant and pomp and parade!
I hear the
bells ringing out!
I hear the cannons' roar!
I see Americans - all
Americans.
Free forevermore!
How quiet, how quiet the chamber is.
How silent, how silent the
chamber is.
Is anybody there?
Does anybody care?
Does anybody see what I see?
Categories: History, Music, Video, YouTube
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