Turtle Soup and British Drinking Songs! Happy 4th Chamber!

American’s have long been seen as “cheeky” by our British brethren.  If you’re a historian of American history, you can probably write a long diatribe about how those pesky colonists defied the most powerful military of the day.  It is no coincidence that after the loss to the rough and tumble upstarts in the new world, the highly decorated General Cornwallis was compelled to play the “Worlds Been Turned Upside Down” as he surrendered.  We have always had a little more grit in our craw as Americans.  Perhaps its our humble beginning as outcasts carving out a life in a new world or perhaps it’s the nature of a Representative Republic. Either way we should be proud of our nation and what it has accomplished.  Is it perfect? Nope.  Is there work to do? Yup. Certainly, the work to achieve the dreams of our founders is ongoing and I personally believe that they intended for it to be that way.  We have always been a strange group.  Don’t believe it?  You should really eat turtle soup this 4^th of July and not hotdogs or BBQ.  I will personally guarantee that in one of your most solemn moments this long weekend you will sing a British drinking song.  Those 2 pieces of knowledge alone should indicate the ornery quirkiness of the American spirit but if you’re not convinced let me explain.

First Turtle Soup.  Most folks don’t smile about eating a protected species and even frown a little bit about a dish to celebrate an American holiday with such but if you really want to celebrate the 4^th with your food choices, turtle soup is the ticket.  It is believed that John and Abigail Adams are the first recorded purveyors of turtle soup for 4^th of July.  Served on the Adams table with poached salmon, boiled potatoes and green peas (well at least I’d enjoy the boiled potatoes!). Others soon joined the trend in colonial America.  George Washington and Alexander Hamilton enjoyed this terrapin delicacy and “turtle fever” was alive in America.  Abraham Lincoln ate a turtle to celebrate his second inauguration and it is traceable even as late as President Taft.  I wonder if he was taking care of a turtle when he died stuck in a bathtub?  Alas, an interesting but not proven conspiracy theory and I do digress.  If at this point you are dying for a bowl of turtle soup you can access a good recipe. (I couldn’t resist) 🙂

Secondly, surely every American worth his “Yankee doodle dandy” will celebrate this 4^th of July weekend by singing a British drinking song.  It is certainly no wonder our brothers and sisters of Britannia think we are a bid odd and terribly cheeky when we sing one of their drinking songs to celebrate our defeat of their red coats.  What are you talking about you ask?  Well, the tune of which I speak is known in modern terms by another name and that of course is the Star-Spangled Banner.  Francis Scott Key who wrote the song didn’t write a song at all.  Factually he wrote a poem entitled The Defence of Fort M’Henry.  The poem became a song when it was set to the tune of a popular British drinking song “To Anacreon in Heaven”. It wasn’t until 1931 that The Star-Spangled Banner became the National Anthem by Congressional action.  The rest is history, and we are all the better for it.  The Star-Spangled Banner is now a permanent part of Americana that moves us to patriotism, and it is entrenched in history for its unique semitones.

So, this 4^th of July put down the hotdogs and rock music and celebrate the holiday like a true American patriot.  Pick up your soup spoons and your beer mugs and enjoy your turtle soup and drinking songs.  Ok let’s not go overboard!  Enjoy the 4^th in your own tradition and be thankful for the wonderful country that we enjoy.  Most importantly we are work in progress and while we have much to celebrate, we have much work to do.  Your chamber is committed to continuing the best of the dreams of our forefathers to have opportunity for every generation.  Personally, that thought inspires me, but I am going to have to pass on the turtle soup.

Happy 4^th of July Everyone,

Dale G. Steenbergen
President/CEO
Greater Cheyenne Chamber of Commerce