4 July—A special treat to celebrate the holiday: I’ll keep today’s disquisition relatively short.

The opening lines of the Declaration of Independence, adopted by the Second Continental Congress, read: “In Congress, July 4, 1776, The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America . . .” You’ll observe that “united” isn’t capitalized. But neither are the other adjectives. So don’t worry about it. And a few years later, anyway, the Articles of Confederation, the nation’s first Constitution, adopted by the selfsame Congress in 1777 and in force from 1781 till the present one went into effect in 1789, specifically capitalizes “United” in the first paragraph and Article I: “The Stile of this confederacy shall be, ‘The United States of America.’” So there.

Back to the Declaration, then, John Hancock’s signature stands out because it’s big, at the top of the signatures and in the middle. And magnificent. It’s where it is because Hancock was President of the Congress and therefore the first to sign. It’s my theory—as yet unsubstantiated—that Hancock was elected to his prestigious position because of his impressive signature. And, of course, because he was loaded. And because putting your John Hancock on a document sounds better than putting your Caesar Rodney or William Whipple or Oliver Wolcott on it.

But what, you may wonder, is really celebrated on the Fourth of July? Sure, the holiday honors the unanimous ratification—if not the actual signing—of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. And people come out with all sorts of patriotic and other drivel. But the truth is, virtually all federal, state, and municipal government employees and lots of private-sector workers really celebrate a paid day off.

So enjoy the holiday . . .