The contemporary imagery of July 4th in the United States of America is largely one of celebration and pageantry. Andover, New York is world famous for its parade, festivities, and great fireworks show(send your best pics and we’ll publish tomorrow).
What happened during this fateful day in 1776 was amidst a war that had only really started a year prior with, “The Shot Heard Round The World”. Fighting had only intensified when the famous group of five, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Roger Sherman, Robert R. Livingston drafted the document.
With the vote on July 4th by the Second Continental Congress, the rebels only angered the royals of Great Britain with this bold and personal statement to the world. The crown waged a more punitive war and the early Americans required assistance from the many native tribes, support from Canada, and from the nation of France. That war dragged on until the effective conclusion when Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown in 1781.
Allegany County wasn’t established for another thirty years but our early residents played a big part in the war that created our nation today. The most famous was Moses Van Campen from Angelica, deemed: “…one of America’s bravest border men, valiant veterans of the Revolution, and distinguished pioneers.” He’s so famous he has his own website!! MosesVanCampen.com
For you history lovers, our local Allegany County Historical Society has a comprehensive list of the veterans of the Revolutionary War that had close ties to Allegany County. Check out this link complied by local history guru Ron Taylor:
