Reading the book “Operation Mincemeat” by Ben Macintyre during the holiday weekend made me think about history in general. Much of what we know as “history”, in truth, is nothing more than propaganda or a well meant observation on how events and people are perceived by writers with a strong prejudice or poor vision. We believe all kinds of things that are either grossly distorted or patently false. For example, July 4th, the birthday of the United States, is in dispute. The Declaration of Independence was signed on July 2nd when the Continental Congress voted to declare independence from Great Britain – not July 4th as commonly believed. John Adams wrote to his wife that the day July 2, 1776 would be remembered and celebrated for centuries to come. The wording of the declaration was formally approved by Congressional vote on July 4, 1776. The document was adopted by all thirteen states on Aug 2, 1776. On which date should we observe our national birthday?
This is why I will rely on my own primary sources and research and experiences as I write these biographies and stories of Georgetown.
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