On the heels of Memorial Day in May and Flag Day in June, July is the month of patriotism since the 4th is the day we celebrate the birth of our country as a nation, independent from English rule.

Even though our break from the British Empire came in 1776, Insurance was sold in the Colonies as early as 1735 in South Carolina. In 1772 Benjamin Franklin along with more than 70 business owners formed a mutual company called “The Philadelphia Contributorship for the Insuring of Houses from Loss by Fire.”

We know from a previous post that Medicare was enacted in 1965, but did you know Life Insurance was established in the 1760’s? The Presbyterian Synods (an assembly of the clergy and sometimes also the laity in a diocese or other division of a particular church) created the “Corporation for Relief of Poor and Distressed Widows and Children of Presbyterian Ministers” in 1759 in New York and Philadelphia which was duplicated by Episcopalian priests in 1769. Auto insurance came about in 1897, health insurance in the 1920’s and home policies in the 1950’s.
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So, how does Insurance and Patriotism go together?

A couple of months ago we shared safety tips at festivals and parades. Independence Day is fast approaching so let’s look at some additional tips to keep the fun in your summertime.

While reading The South During Reconstruction – 1865-1877 (E Merton Coulter) I came across a bit of information about the insurance industry I found to be of great interest.