An 1819 painting by American painter John Trumbull shows the delivery of the draft US Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia.Image: www.album-online.com
There are many historical myths surrounding the secession of the American colonies from the British mother country in 1776. What does this have to do with Thomas Jefferson and a Basel philosopher?
July 4, 2026, 2:14 p.mJuly 4, 2026, 2:14 p.m
Interestingly, it was a Swiss man who wanted to change this: Isaak Iselin (1728–1782) from Basel. The philosopher and journalist printed the first complete German translation of the Declaration of Independence in his magazine in October 1776.
Americans are celebrating on the wrong day
In the summer of 1776, 12 of the 13 American colonies supported the request to secede from the mother country Great Britain. But this vote in the colonial parliament did not take place on July 4th – but two days earlier.
So what do Americans celebrate on Independence Day? On July 4th, the text of the Declaration of Independence, formulated by Thomas Jefferson, was formally adopted and sent to the printer. Many delegates did not sign the document until weeks later. But because the printed proclamation had the date July 4, 1776, that day prevailed.
The victory of the colonialists was in the balance for a long time
The Declaration of Independence was initially wishful thinking in the summer of 1776. Because at this point it didn’t look like the colonialists would start the war against the army of the British King George III. could win.
In fact, it was only at the end of 1777 that the Americans managed to turn the tide on the battlefield thanks to an alliance with France. The War of Independence ended in the fall of 1783 with the Peace of Paris.
And even then it took five years before the constitution for the new country could come into force. The first US President, George Washington, took his oath of office on April 30, 1789. The American Republic as we know it today is only 237 years old.
The big festival would have to take place in Philadelphia
The big Independence Day celebration always takes place in Washington on July 4th. But basically Philadelphia, a two and a half hour drive from the capital, would be the more suitable venue. The colonialists’ parliament passed the Declaration of Independence in what was then the colonialists’ largest city. Philadelphia almost automatically became the first capital of the USA.
Construction of Washington, today’s capital, began in 1792. The city on the Potomac has been officially the capital of the country since 1800. In between, depending on the course of the war, seven other cities served as US capitals, including New York.
A Basel resident spread the Declaration of Independence
The revolutionary act of the American colonies seceding from the mother country initially met with “no great response” in Europe, as historian Peter Hoeres has found.
Interestingly, it was a Swiss man who wanted to change this: Isaak Iselin (1728–1782) from Basel. The philosopher and journalist printed the first complete German translation of the Declaration of Independence in his magazine in October 1776.
However, the result was bumpy. Iselin thus botched Jefferson’s famous formulation that “the pursuit of happiness” is an inalienable human right. Today historians say that the Basel native probably transcribed a French translation and not the original.
Swiss soldiers were forgotten
The role of Swiss emigrants in the War of Independence is largely forgotten. Already in the 18th century, tens of thousands of German-speaking Swiss lived in the colonies, as historian James Hutson noted in 1991. It is not known how many of them served in the military.
The reason for this historical gap: 250 years ago, foreigners were categorized according to their native language. The Swiss were therefore considered “Germans” or “Palatinates” because this German region was often a stopover on the way to America. (schweiztoday.ch)