Mark Edwards was born on the third of July. He grew up believing his birthday had no meaning other than the day he was born. At the end of the school year in the fifth grade, his strict but fair teacher, Mr. Herzog, tells Mark about the great battle of Gettysburg which concluded on his birthday. His teacher called it, "The defining moment in American history."Mark celebrates his eleventh birthday followed by America's Independence in none other than Independence, Missouri. After he enjoys the best birthday and Fourth of July of his life, Mark becomes depressed as he ponders the true meaning of the Civil War, the sorrow and enormous loss of life.Born on the third of July is about a kid struggling with not only his own identity, but also the identity of America.
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