CrashCourse on Independence Day and the American Revolution for July 4th

Happy 4th of July! I'm taking a break from alternating between drum corps and theme parks to celebrate the second of three patriotic holidays I observe here to instead impart some historical knowledge in a light-hearted manner from CrashCourse beginning with History of the 4th of July: Crash Course US History Special.*

In which John Green teaches you a bit about the 4th of July. In this special short Crash Course, John celebrates American Independence Day by teaching you how the holiday came to be on the 4th of July, and the many ways that Americans celebrate the day. This is a little different than the normal Crash Course episode, so be prepared.

This is more about the holiday than what it celebrates. Follow over the jump for two more videos from CrashCourse about the American Revolution plus the traditional Tipsy Bartender drink video.

The older video comes first, as CrashCourse asks Who Won the American Revolution?

In which John Green teaches you about the American Revolution. And the Revolutionary War. I know we've labored the point here, but they weren't the same thing. In any case, John will teach you about the major battles of the war, and discuss the strategies on both sides. Everyone is familiar with how this war played out for the Founding Fathers; they got to become the Founding Fathers. But what did the revolution mean to the common people in the United States? For white, property-owning males, it was pretty sweet. They gained rights that were a definite step up from being British Colonial citizens. For everyone else, the short-term gains were not clear. Women's rights were unaffected, and slaves remained in slavery. As for poor white folks, they remained poor and disenfranchised. The reality is it took a long time for this whole democracy thing to get underway, and the principles of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness weren't immediately available to all these newly minted Americans.

CrashCourse returned to the subject of who won from the American Revolution by expanding on the story from the thought bubble in Friday's The American Revolution: Crash Course Black American History #8.

When we talk about the American Revolution and Revolutionary War, the discussion often involves lofty ideals like liberty, and freedom, and justice. The Declaration of Independence even opens with the idea that "all men are created equal." But it turns out, the war wasn't being fought on behalf of "all men." The war was mainly about freedom for white colonists, and liberty, justice, and the pursuit of happiness didn't apply to the Black people living in the British colonies. During the war, Black people took up arms on both sides of the conflict, and today we're going to learn how and why they participated.

Here's to the United States actually living up to its ideals for all of its citizens.

*I know today is Sunday, which I reserve for entertainment, but I just wasn't feeling like another drum corps post so soon after A happy drum corps Canada Day 2021! Maybe in 2023; I already have something planned for next year. Besides, there is one tradition I'm continuing today, a Tipsy Bartender drink for the holiday. Enjoy Bomb Pop Shot from 2020.