Today we should really spend just a moment remembering how incredibly brave the patriot founders of our country were when they signed the Declaration of Independence.  It was an act of treason against the greatest superpower of the world at that time.  This superpower, put treasonous acts down with the heavy boot of its large Navy and Army. Oh and the penalty for the signers and instigators of rebellion if caught was death by hanging.  Everyone knew it, so to rebel was extremely risky and highly likely to fail.  Many of he signers hoped for a negotiated settlement with their mother country, but knew this to be unlikely.  Within 20 days or so, the speed of ships at that time, the King would know of this treason, and a response was surely to come within another month or so.  In the meantime, the colonists, had no standing Army, just local militia, as well as no Navy, just a commercial maritime fleet.  Much to do in a short time to find a way to defend their declared independence, and to do so without a central government, as each of the colonies were used to managing their own affairs.  The Continental Congress also was without a clear president or leader.  We think of George Washington as the president at that time, he was being elected leader of the Continental Army, but he wouldn’t be President until 1789, another 13 years.

An analogy today would be if Puerto Rico, declared and decided to defend by force independence from the USA.   It would be laughable, no matter how justifiable their grievances were and their leaders determined.

The patriot founders, had extensive debts held by banks in England.  I’m sure they felt that might be the only saving grace for negotiation instead of being crushed by the British military and being hanged for treason… but that was a long shot.  They were incredibly brave, and they built a basis for a new country based on democracy and personal freedoms that the world had not previously known.  We should remember and value the risks these patriots took at this time, as well as all that came later to defend the right for this wonderful United States of America to exist and be a beacon for freedom, justice and peace!