I knew something wasn’t right a few years ago on the Fourth of July when my daughter quietly walked into the living room and declared, “Um, Dad, there’s been an incident.”

She and her college-aged friends were out on the street in front of the house celebrating with fireworks. I know this because the TV show I was trying to watch was interrupted every few seconds by artillery fire that she and everyone else in the neighborhood were blasting well into the night.

No blood was drawn, but the neighbor’s cedar fence had a sulfur burn, as did the neighbor’s garage door across the street, as did the neighbor’s rose bushes around the corner. In fact the errant aerial sent blasts everywhere except into the air.

Everyone was a little shook up, but otherwise OK.

My garden hose put a quick end to the fireworks for the night. Friends went home and my daughter reluctantly went to each neighbor to apologize for “the incident.”

The Fourth of July has been a day to celebrate since the earliest days of our nation, but like many of our holidays, the reason we celebrate has been diluted amongst the many celebrations.

Here in southeast North Carolina, we have a connection to the Revolutionary War and the cause of independence that many of our fellow Americans enjoy only by proxy.

As one of the 13 original colonies, North Carolina was the first to vote for independence from Great Britain during the Continental Congress.

As a relative newcomer to North Carolina, I’ve come to understand the significant role our state played in the formation of our nation.

In that regard, one of the things I enjoy here in Robeson County is the collection of the weekly history features that you enjoy in the weekend edition. The ongoing series takes a look at historical sites in the greater Robeson County area, a large number of which reference events centered on the Revolutionary War.

Places like McPhaul’s Mill, which was a rendezvous point for local Tories. During the American Revolution, McPhaul’s (McFall’s) Mill served as a Tory stronghold. Neill McPhaul was one of the leading Loyalists in the county, and often operated under the command of David Fanning. In July 1781, Fanning encamped at the mill with the prisoners taken in the attack on Chatham Courthouse, and in late September he bivouacked there with individuals captured in the attack on Hillsborough.

Closer to Lumbertain you can find a stone monument that honors those who were a part of establishing the town back in the late 1700s, a time when the country of America had yet to establish its full identity.

That monument, which stands on North Water Street just north of West Fifth Street, reads in part “On August 14, 1787, John Willis deeded to the Lumberton Lottery Managers 170 acres of land, being well known as Red Bluff where the courts are held.”

A month later on Sept. 17, 1787, delegates signed a new document known as the Constitution of the United States of America.

The founding of Lumberton and the United States share the same history in many regards.

In fact, it’s my feeling that settlers to Robeson County came to this area to find freedom, prosperity and opportunity. And despite the blighted history of slavery in the new country, it’s more significant now than ever that we should honor the vision and sacrifices of our city’s earliest forefathers. To them, celebrating the cause of freedom was much more “than a fireworks incident.”

Enjoy a safe Fourth of July holiday.