From July 4 rebellion to international wra

| The New Mexican

7/4/2008 - 7/4/08

For many reasons — was it the budding romanticism in the air, the fascination with rebellious colonials and their high-sounding language about freedoms, or merely the chance to make mischief with Georgian England? — men from many nations risked lives and fortunes on American independence.

It wasn't really their fight, but they made it so — and we can be glad they did.

On this day 232 years ago, there were only hints and hopes that those declaring independence would get much outside help achieving it.

But at Valley Forge, during the devastating winter encampment of 1777-78, there were the French Marquis de Lafayette and the Prussian Baron von Steuben turning a ragtag army into an opponent able to match Britain's feared and renowned military skills.

The Count of Rochambeau, too, lent strong leadership skills to the forces of George Washington. The man of many nations, Tadeusz Kosciuszko, was an inspiring general of our forces.

And the dashing, diplomatic Bernardo de Gálvez, governor of Spanish Louisiana — later a viceroy of New Spain — defeated the British at Baton Rouge, Natchez and Pensacola. His victories denied Britain a chance to come at the revolutionaries from the south.

Gálvez wound up drafting some of the Treaty of Paris, officially ending the war in 1783. Even before then, he could see what Washington's success might mean for his own empire — but England was an old enemy, to be weakened where it could be ...

Galveston. Kosciusko. Steubenville. Lafayette. So many American cities, towns or counties honoring them — and so many more American monuments to those who fought for the freedom of loosely confederated
colonies. They stand today alongside those of our citizen-generals of a war declared July 4, 1776 — a time when, to many, it was a suicidal notion.

The American casualty count: Just over 4,000 died in battle, in those days of fewer people and lower firepower, but elementary medical care. Cold and diseases, typhus among them, took thousands more.

From that war came the nation we love — and celebrate today.

Here in the land that Bernardo de Gálvez once ruled, pancakes are cooking at the Plaza, being turned by folks you probably know: The United Way fundraising kickoff, with music, classic cars and crowds of Santa Feans as well as welcome visitors, will be going on most of the day — with breakfast until noon, maybe half an hour later.

In the evening, fireworks from Santa Fe High School's Ivan Head Stadium, sponsored by the city, the county, the school district and the Boys and Girls Club. Gates open at 5:30, the fireworks start going off about 9.

In between, maybe you'll grill some brats or 'burgers and hoist a brew or something else cool. Lift one to the heroes in Philadelphia who signed, their lives on the line, the declaration that led to what we enjoy today.