On this day in 1776, the thirteen British colonies on this side of the Atlantic raised their collective fist and shook it at a nation whose armies spanned the globe and crushed without pity or remorse anyone and everyone who so much as mocked their teatime traditions. The rich and the poor of those meager pockets of population proceeded to fight tooth and nail for every inch of the ground they worked. They bled for their children and grandchildren. And they died for the freedom of a nation of people whom they would never meet. Because our freedom was worth it to them. Our churches and schools, our libraries and car dealerships, our homes and businesses were worth their lives. Their sacrifice determined the landscape of our society. Their legacy deserves our respect and gratitude.