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THE POWER OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE

Friday, July 1, 2022

In today’s newsletter, we examine the argument for the Declaration of Independence, debunk the myth behind Betsy Ross, discover why Omicron variants are causing new COVID-19 outbreaks ... and find 10 cool summertime getaways. Plus, take our latest Nat Geo Quiz.

ILLUSTRATION VIA STOCK MONTAGE/GETTY IMAGES

For years, the framers of America’s Declaration of Independence viewed themselves as loyal British subjects—and wanted nothing more than a fuller voice in Britain.

A best-selling pamphlet in early 1776 convinced many of them that their wish was futile. Britain would never give them full representation, but Americans had a right to independence. The 1,337-word document that emerged—and which prompted the Fourth of July U.S. holiday—sought to woo Americans to that cause.

Lead writer Thomas Jefferson made “a legalistic argument against tyranny,” K.M. Kostyal writes for Nat Geo. The framers themselves weren’t without stain or hypocrisy, as Americans are discovering, but their words endure.

Read the full story here.

ILLUSTRATION VIA GRAPHICAARTIS/GETTY IMAGES

Fluid history: So much early U.S. history is mythologized, it’s hard to get it right. Not just with the Declaration’s framers (pictured at top), but things like the role of seamstress Betsy Ross (depicted above with George Washington). There’s no evidence she sewed the first American flag. “Americans love a first and a biggest and a most. It’s taken on a life of its own,” historian Marc Leepson tells us. “It’s part of the fabric of American history. If only it were true.”

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STORIES WE’RE FOLLOWING

PHOTOGRAPH BY JENNIFER ADLER, NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION

10 places to escape summer’s heat (Pictured, striped mullet in Florida’s Ichetucknee River)

See photos of America’s unique species

Why Omicron variants are causing fresh U.S. COVID-19 outbreaks

A photographer documents her own gender transition

Ulysses S. Grant’s unlikely rise to U.S. commander—and Civil War victor

The long-buried secrets in the Maya ruins of Palenque

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE

Where is this image from? By the 19th century all of these had been toppled—by whom or what is unclear. Click here to find the answer.

Related: These explorers searched for the tree at the end of the world

PHOTO OF THE DAY

PHOTOGRAPH BY @JUANCRISTOBALCOBO

The faces of Cartegena: Beatriz, like many other women in Cartagena, Colombia, makes a living selling fruit in the streets of the Old City. Palenqueras, as the colorfully attired women are called, are traditionally from nearby San Basilio de Palenque, a small village founded by people who escaped enslavement and established the first free town for Africans in the Americas. The palenqueras are constantly sought by tourists who will—for a small price—pose in photos with them.

LAST GLIMPSE

PHOTOGRAPH BY CÉSAR RODRÍGUEZ

Revival: The manmade islands and canals (pictured above) have been oases in densely packed Mexico City since they were created more than 1,000 years ago. The pandemic has prompted residents to seek solace there—and to revive centuries-old farming of the rich soil. Activists say encouraging more farming on the islands will help the megacity’s food supply and lighten its carbon footprint. “There’s nothing alternative about this,” social scientist David Monachon tells Nat Geo. “It’s the historical legacy. This is the normal thing.”

BACK TO THE EARTH

This newsletter has been curated and edited by David Beard, Heather Kim, Jen Tse, and Monica Williams. We’d love to hear from you. Write to [email protected].

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