Liberty or death

On this day in 1776, the Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia, setting the 13 American colonies on the road to freedom from British rule.

Culpeper County, founded 1749, was at the forefront of that fight. In July, the year before the colonies declared their independence, a 500-man battalion from Culpeper, Fauquier and Orange organized as the Culpeper Minutemen.

And from the sound of it, the men were quite a sight.

“We encamped in Clayton’s old field,” wrote Philip Slaughter in his diary. “Some had tents, and others huts of plank. The whole regiment appeared according to orders in hunting shirts made of strong, brown linen, dyed the color of the leaves of the trees, and on the breast of each hunting shirt was worked in large white letters the words, ‘Liberty or Death!’ and all that could procure for love or money bucks’ tails wore them in their hats.

Each man had a leather belt around his shoulders, with a tomahawk and scalping knife.”

The men, under order of Patrick Henry, marched to Williamsburg in October 1775. The city folk of Williamsburg, upon seeing the local battalion, were quite alarmed, Slaughter wrote.

“The Minute Men were chiefly armed with fowling-pieces and squirrel guns. Many people hearing that we were from the backwoods, near the Indians, and seeing our dress, were as much afraid of us for a few days as if we had been Indians; but finding that we were orderly and attentive in guarding the city, they treated us with great respect.

“We took pride in demeaning ourselves as patriots and gentlemen.”

Here are some patriotic numbers from the U.S. Census:

2.5 million: In July, 1776, the estimated number of people living in the newly independent nation
307 million: America’s population on this July 4
More than 1 in 4: the chance that the hot dogs and pork sausages consumed today originated in Iowa, home to 19.3 million pigs and hogs
6.8 billion pounds: total production of cattle and calves in Texas in 2007
More than ¾: amount of the nation’s head lettuce produced in 2008 that came from California
Florida: the state that led the nation in watermelon production last year with 861 million pounds
78 million: the number of Americans who said they have taken part in a barbecue during the previous year
$193 million: the value of fireworks imported from China last year, representing the bulk of all U.S. fireworks imported
$3.4 million: the dollar value of U.S. imports of American flags last year. The vast majority of this amount ($3 million) was for U.S. flags made in China
$569,400: dollar value of U.S. flags exported last year. Belgium was the leading customer, purchasing $186,400 worth
31: number of places nationwide with “liberty” in their name, the most populous being Liberty, Mo.
31: number of places nationwide with “eagle” in their name, the most populous being Eagle Pass, Texas
11: number of places nationwide with “independence” in their name, the most populous being Independence, Mo.
5: number of places nationwide with “freedom” in their name, the most populous being Freedom, Calif.
1: there is one place named “patriot” – Patriot, Ind.
5: number of places in America with “America” in their name, the most populous being American Fork, Utah
$112.4 billion: dollar value of trade last year between the U.S. and the United Kingdom, making the British, our adversary in 1776, our sixth-leading trade partner today