For 4th of July this year, I wanted to do something different – something personal. I put together a short video to honor some of my ancestors who helped shape the founding of America.
My family has been in the U.S. for over 400 years, and as I trace the stories of people like Thomas Knowlton (who fought alongside George Washington), James Armour Jr. (who responded to the Lexington Alarm), Gurdon Mumford (secretary to Benjamin Franklin), and John Winthrop (governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony and author of the “city on a hill” sermon), I’m struck by their courage and their vision for a freer, more just world.
In the video, I take you on a quick trip through history, linking these figures to my own family tree – and reflecting on what their fight against tyranny meant then… and what it means now.
CONTENTS (TIMESTAMPS)
00:00 – Introduction: Honoring my ancestors on the 4th of July
01:05 – Tracing family history on FindAGrave
02:15 – Thomas Knowlton: Hero of the Revolution
04:10 – The formation of Knowlton’s Rangers and U.S. military intelligence
06:00 – Revolutionary War values vs today’s global elite
07:08 – James Armour Jr. and the Lexington Alarm
08:28 – Gurdon Mumford: Secretary to Benjamin Franklin
09:00 – The Winthrop Line: City Upon a Hill
10:35 – John Winthrop’s vision and America’s moral responsibility
11:30 – Final reflections and gratitude for Independence Day
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