Before the fireworks, there was fire. In our debut episode, we go back to July 4, 1775—an often-overlooked but critical day in American history. The Second Continental Congress meets in Philadelphia under sweltering summer heat and growing pressure. Just weeks after the battles of Lexington and Concord, colonial leaders take a bold step: they draft the Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking Up Arms, explaining to the world why the colonies are preparing for war—not out of ambition, but out of necessity.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why July 4, 1775 matters as much as July 4, 1776
• What the Second Continental Congress was debating
• How early battles shaped the tone of rebellion
• The importance of the Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking Up Arms
• The tremendous risk colonial leaders were taking—and why they did it anyway

🎧 Listen now and begin the journey to 1776.