The holiday 250 years in the making is upon us. A time when as one voice, we declared our independence from the tyranny of England. This weekend, America will celebrate our 250th anniversary.

“We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.”

~Conclusion of the Declaration of Independence, Second Continental Congress, July 4, 1776

Italians have been part of the United States since the first official settlements. Soon after the establishment of Jamestown in 1607, “Italians,” for lack of a better term – after all, Italy wasn’t an official place just yet, began making their way to the emerging British colonies. Some of the most well-known Italians that influenced the American Revolution include Filippo Mazzei, William Paca, and Cesare Beccaria.

Filippo Mazzei

Filippo Mazzei authored several pamphlets against English control, praising liberty and equality. Some of his works were translated into English by Thomas Jefferson, who was so influenced by them that he used some of Mazzei’s phrases when drafting the Declaration of Independence.

The great doctrine ‘All men are created equal’ incorporated into the Declaration of Independence by Thomas Jefferson, was paraphrased from the writing of Philip Mazzei, an Italian-born patriot and pamphleteer, who was a close friend of Jefferson. A few alleged scholars try to discredit Mazzei as the creator of this statement and idea, saying that ‘there is no mention of it anywhere until after the Declaration was published’. This phrase appears in Italian in Mazzei’s own hand, written in Italian, several years prior to the writing of the Declaration of Independence. Mazzei and Jefferson often exchanged ideas about true liberty and freedom.

~A Nation of Immigrants by John F. Kennedy, 1958

William Paca

In 1765 William Paca and Samuel Chase founded a Sons of Liberty chapter in Maryland and mobilized support against the Stamp Act. As a member of the Continental Congress, Paca voted for independence on July 2, 1776 and signed the Declaration of Independence on August 2. He continued his role as a delegate in the Continental Congress in 1776 and 1777. One of Maryland’s four signers of the Declaration of Independence, Paca was serving as governor while Congress met in Annapolis from November 1783 through August 1784. Fellow patriot, John Adams, described William Paca as a “great deliberater,” which underscores his thoughtful and significant contributions during the debates on independence.

Cesare Beccaria

The influence of Cesare Beccaria on the founding of American cannot be overstated. His writings had a direct effect on both the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights.

“Laws that forbid the carrying of arms… disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes. Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants; they serve rather to encourage than prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed one.” ~Cesare Beccaria, Essay on Crimes and Punishments, 1764

In 1764 his treatise, “Delitti e Delle Pene,” became the great foundation for America’s founding documents. He wrote against what he referred to as the “barbaric practice of torture” and corruption of magistrates. He argued for the belief that justice depends on the certainty of punishment as opposed to its severity. Penalties should be based on the crime. He was also the first modern writer to advocate for the elimination of capital punishment.

“He is now considered the father of both modern criminal law and criminal justice. One of the first people to quote directly from Beccaria’s book outside Europe was John Adams, who influenced the course of events of this country as one of its greatest constitutional lawyers and its second president. When Adams first quoted directly from Beccaria, it was said to have an electrifying effect on the jury. Thomas Jefferson read Crimes and Punishments intently. Passages were found in his diary and were later used in the Declaration of Causes in 1775.” ~The Revolutionary Influence of Cesare Beccaria from the Italian Tribune

The Great Migration

The first member of my family to step on the shores of America was my great-grandfather, Gabriele Ficetola, in 1888. His named was changed to “Gabriel E. Fucetola” at Ellis Island and he made his way to Newark. He was one of thousands who called the Old First Ward home for decades; until they were removed for the “modern” Columbus Homes.

But that’s a story for another day…

Millions arrived from Southern Italy to the United States between 1880 and 1924, the large majority staying in New York and New Jersey. They came for the opportunity America offered. They learned English, changed their names to make them sound more “American.” They wanted to prove themselves worthy for the opportunities this country afforded them. They worked hard labor and built the cities that turned America into modern metropoleis. They sacrificed for the generations that would come after them. Family they would never meet. For the promise of America.

America at 250

Today we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the great experiment that is America. We are indebted to those who fought against tyranny and took control of their collective destiny. And since the very beginning, our heritage played a key role in our nation’s founding. And we are indebted tot all those who came before us, so that we may live free.