Journey Through Christmases Past: America's Independence - Christmas 1783

 

Welcome to our newest feature, Journey through Christmases Past. This series is a nostalgic celebration of the holidays we all remember...

• The history and traditions of the holiday.
• The décor that filled our homes.
• The toys that defined each decade.
• The television and movie shows that brightened the season.
• The outfits we adored (and the ones we definitely didn’t).

Along the way, I’ll sprinkle in a few of my own Christmas memories. So settle in with a cup of your favorite hot beverage and join me on a journey through Christmases past.

Happy Sunday! We are officially 152 days away from Christmas. It is creeping closer all the time. I've been downloading Christmas fiction in the hopes I can read more seasonal books this year. I should also check out the Christmas Podcast Directory to help me get into the spirit as quickly as possible. With my work schedule this year, I am going to need it. 

Today, Journey through Christmases Past is traveling way back to 1783, the year the War for American Independence ended when the Treaty of Paris was signed in September. 

For the first time since the Revolutionary War broke out in 1775, our new country found itself at peace. Seven years beyond the signing of the Declaration of Independence, and still four years away from the Constitutional Convention, Americans were not engaging in active conflict, and the country no longer endured British occupation. The Treaty of Paris formally recognized the United States as an independent nation. 

Three days before Christmas, George Washington resigned his commission before Congress and returned to life as a private citizen, an act that signified the new country's difference from the monarchies of Europe and infused the holiday with a sense of national pride. 

Candles glowed in windows from New Hampshire to Georgia, as the young nation stepped out of the dark shadow of a hard-fought war. Modest celebrations marked the absence of military patrols and wartime restrictions. An atmosphere of relief, gratitude, and hope could be found throughout the country, where churches blended Christmas traditions with expressions of thanksgiving. And while Americans knew the future was uncertain, Christmas 1783 gave them a chance to reflect and imagine the possibilities. 

AI gave me a bit of an assist in compiling data for this article.