Historicize Me

So this past Monday was the Fourth of July. I am living in Edinburgh, Scotland, and so it was a different celebration from the one I normally engage in. When I'm in the States, the Fourth is always a day of gorging myself on hot dogs, baked beans (the Boston kind, not the crazy tomato-based kind they eat here), chips (crisps), potato salad, and then a vast array of desserts, most of which would be red, white, and blue, the white always being some kind of cream product, making it the best of the layers. The evening is then spent watching some kind of fireworks with friends and family, probably drinking. Although, let's be serious, the drinking happens all day long. When I'm in the South, these all tend to take place at a state or national park - last year involved my parents' canoe. In Buffalo the evening always happens at Niawanda Park on the Niagara River (known to locals as just "the river") because the fireworks are set off from a barge in the middle of the river, paid for jointly by 3 communities so they're usually pretty spectacular. In fact, that is my favorite way to spend the Fourth. And not just because a local staple and phenomenal ice cream shop Mississippi Mudds is right across the street from the park...


But so yes, I missed Buffalo and fireworks and such this year, but things weren't bad because there's quite a few Americans in this town and we got together on the Meadows (Edinburgh's biggest public park, conveniently located right next to the main university buildings) and had a mini barbeque. Now, when I say mini, I mean positively miniscule by American standards. But one makes due. We played a little touch football (yes, the American kind - it *was* the Fourth of July) and had some drinks and all in all it was a fun time. Even with British friends trying to throw the ball like a rugby ball - psshh, lame-os. Overall, a good day though nothing spectacular. Perhaps when I have a backyard and a grill here I'll put on a proper celebration. Until then it'll be make-due central for American holidays.


There was one aspect of the day, however, which gave my Intellectual History muscles reason to flex. The day before Independence Day I had an English girl ask my why we celebrated it (then quickly add that she knew it was Independence Day - she had studied abroad in the States). As in, what were we celebrating independence from exactly? It was hard not to make a very snarky comment that it was her own culture we had thrown off so many years ago. I went with a cheeky grin and a simple, "You. And the British monarchy." 


But it is funny in some ways to be in Britain on the day Americans celebrate specifically not being British. Well, that and having created a new nation on our own. As a historian, it's an interesting thing to think about from various angles. Especially given today's political climate in les États, people are often asking "What would the Founding Fathers think?!" Sometimes in wonder, sometimes in exasperation, always with reverence. Here's the thing though: those men are dead. They would not recognize our world in myriad ways. So much about what we do and have today would be so totally alien to them, the same way that much about their world would be incredibly alien to us. People like to romanticize history a lot and pretend that the chord between past and present is really a telephone line that they can tap into at any moment and suddenly be completely immersed in the past (though with all modern amenities and probably without having left their couches). This is not only slightly absurd, it is sometimes dangerous. Enshrining anyone as demigods is never a fantastic idea - it's how Egyptian slaves ended up being killed when the Pharaoh died so he could take them with him, being a demigod and all. When NASA creates a spaceship, they don't wonder what Newton would think. Similarly, asking what the Founding Fathers (and first you'd have to define who exactly you mean... I like to include Melancton Smith of NY even though he didn't vote for ratification of the Constitution) would think of being in Britain on Independence Day is pointless unless taken in a spirit of fun and tongue-in-cheek speculation. Jefferson spent quite a bit of time in Paris and the John Adamses spent time in London, as did Franklin and lots of the other big names, so assuming they'd be appalled at the idea is probably a bit arrogant if not just completely false.


All I can say is, I'm looking forward to Bastille Day and questions of what the sans-culottes would do to today's CEO and banker fat cats. Now *that* is a scenario I would love to see play out.