Give us liberty!

In these days leading up to our big national holiday, I've been thinking about how those days leading up to the orginal Declaration of Independence must've been like for our foresocks in the dryer.

According to my handy almanac of American history, I find it was on this date back in 1776 that Virginia ceased being merely a colony by adopting its first state constitution and making the great patriot Patrick Henry its first governor.

Years ago, while visiting the old Morgan family ancestral stomping grounds in Campbell County, Virginia, I took a brief detour to visit Governor Henry's retirement home at Red Hill.

The grounds are a lot more rustic and secluded than those of Mount Vernon or Monticello, allowing visitors to feel a more personal connection to the place.

I suppose that's why Henry remains my favorite among the founding fathers. Kind of an offbeat selection, I suppose. But, I'm known for such . . .