The Way of the WASP: How New England WASPs see The Fourth of July

The Fourth of July invites one to look backwards. So of course, New England WASPs love that.

In fact the New England WASP Fourth of July experience has its own feel, tangential to the nation’s as a whole.

The arbitrariness of “The Fourth of July” certainly stands out. When did this country start? What is the single defining event over all others that should be celebrated?

There is the Pilgrim landing at Plymouth, which of course, no.

How about the Winthrop fleet landing in June of 1630? Yes, to a point. It was a Puritan beachhead. But just getting across the Atlantic was no big deal. Even Pilgrims could do that.

The establishment of the Great and General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1630 could be a satisfying place to start. The Puritans love order. It reflects the victory of control over chaos, so, well, a contender.