Fun fact…Idaho asked President Harrison to wait a day to sign the admission act so they could be admitted on July 4. He refused as he wanted the additional star on the flag for July 4!
Today's featured story in the app is about how July 2, 1776 is the day Congress actually voted for independence. John Adams wrote to his wife that July 2 would be the day Americans celebrated with parades and fireworks forever. He was right about everything... except the date!!
I called it "Patriot Compass". And before you ask, it is NON PARTISAN. Just wanted to make something nice for America's 250th that hopefully everyone can enjoy... stories from American history "on this day" (both text and a few podcasts), a daily quote (and three for subscribers), and a tracker that tells you why the flag is at half-staff whenever an order gets issued.
I'm a solo dev, worked on it nights and weekends for most of a year, and launched just a few days ago so it would be out before the 4th. I have many more features planned but had to get something out for this weekend!
Best thing that's happened so far: someone found it on their own (not from an ad, I checked) and bought the annual subscription the same day. First stranger who thought it was worth paying for... really great feeling!
Link to App Store: https://apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id6754849394?pt=122883310&ct=redditsideproject&mt=8
Web app version: https://patriotcompass.us/today (full experience in the app but didn't want to leave out our Android friends! will build an Android version if iOS gets traction)
For those who have launched, what actually moved the needle to get to your first 1,000 users? Doing Apple Search Ads and posts like this so far... open to suggestions!
On July 2, 1776, the Second Continental Congress adopted the Lee Resolution, declaring the colonies "free and independent States". That was the actual vote for independence!
John Adams wrote to Abigail predicting July 2 would be "solemnized with pomp and parade .... from one end of this continent to the other from this time forward forever more."
He nailed the spirit and missed the date by two days... the public came to associate independence with the Declaration of Independence, adopted on July 4, rather than with the vote that enacted independence.
Bonus detail I love: the Syng inkstand that the signers dipped their pens into to sign the Declaration sat on the same table in the same room 11 years later, when the Constitution was signed.
Happy Independence Vote Day!! 😄