Fourth of July – Independence Day
The Fourth of July—also known as
Independence Day or July 4th—has been a federal holiday in the United States
since 1941, but the tradition of Independence Day celebrations goes back to the
18th century and the American Revolution. On July 2nd, 1776, the Continental
Congress voted in favor of independence, and two days later delegates from the
13 colonies adopted the Declaration of Independence, a historic document
drafted by Thomas Jefferson. From 1776 to the present day, July 4th has been
celebrated as the birth of American independence, with festivities ranging from
fireworks, parades and concerts to more casual family gatherings and barbecues.
The Fourth of July 2020 is on Saturday, July 4, 2020.
A History of Independence Day: When the initial battles in the
Revolutionary War broke out in April 1775, few colonists desired complete
independence from Great Britain, and those who did were considered radical. By
the middle of the following year, however, many more colonists had come to
favor independence, thanks to growing hostility against Britain and the spread
of revolutionary sentiments such as those expressed in the bestselling pamphlet
“Common Sense,” published by Thomas Paine in early 1776. On June 7, when the Continental Congress met
at the Pennsylvania State House (later Independence Hall) in Philadelphia, the
Virginia delegate Richard Henry Lee introduced a motion calling for the
colonies’ independence. Amid heated
debate, Congress postponed the vote on Lee’s resolution, but appointed a
five-man committee—including Thomas Jefferson of Virginia, John Adams of
Massachusetts, Roger Sherman of Connecticut, Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania
and Robert R. Livingston of New York—to draft a formal statement justifying the
break with Great Britain.
Did you know? John Adams believed
that July 2nd was the correct date on which to celebrate the birth of American
independence, and would reportedly turn down invitations to appear at July 4th
events in protest. Adams and Thomas Jefferson both died on July 4, 1826—the
50th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence.
On July 2nd, the Continental
Congress voted in favor of Lee’s resolution for independence in a
near-unanimous vote (the New York delegation abstained, but later voted
affirmatively). On that day, John Adams wrote to his wife Abigail that July 2
“will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary
Festival” and that the celebration should include “Pomp and Parade…Games,
Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent
to the other.” On July 4th, the
Continental Congress formally adopted the Declaration of Independence, which
had been written largely by Jefferson. Though the vote for actual independence
took place on July 2nd, from then on the 4th became the day that was celebrated
as the birth of American independence.
Early Fourth of July Celebrations: In the pre-Revolutionary years, colonists
had held annual celebrations of the king’s birthday, which traditionally
included the ringing of bells, bonfires, processions and speechmaking. By
contrast, during the summer of 1776 some colonists celebrated the birth of
independence by holding mock funerals for King George III as a way of
symbolizing the end of the monarchy’s hold on America and the triumph of
liberty. Festivities including concerts,
bonfires, parades and the firing of cannons and muskets usually accompanied the
first public readings of the Declaration of Independence, beginning immediately
after its adoption. Philadelphia held the first annual commemoration of
independence on July 4, 1777, while Congress was still occupied with the
ongoing war. George Washington issued double rations of rum to all his soldiers
to mark the anniversary of independence in 1778, and in 1781, several months
before the key American victory at the Battle of Yorktown, Massachusetts became
the first state to make July 4th an official state holiday. After the
Revolutionary War, Americans continued to commemorate Independence Day every
year, in celebrations that allowed the new nation’s emerging political leaders
to address citizens and create a feeling of unity. By the last decade of the
18th century, the two major political parties—the Federalist Party and
Democratic-Republicans—that had arisen began holding separate Fourth of July
celebrations in many large cities.
Fourth of July Fireworks: The first fireworks were used as early as
200 BC. The tradition of setting off fireworks on the 4 of July began in
Philadelphia on July 4, 1777, during the first organized celebration of
Independence Day. Ship’s cannon fired a 13-gun salute in honor of the 13
colonies. The Pennsylvania Evening Post reported: “at night there was a grand
exhibition of fireworks (which began and concluded with thirteen rockets) on
the Commons, and the city was beautifully illuminated.” That same night, the
Sons of Liberty set off fireworks over Boston Common.
Fourth of July Becomes a Federal
Holiday: The tradition of patriotic
celebration became even more widespread after the War of 1812, in which the
United States again faced Great Britain. In 1870, the U.S. Congress made July
4th a federal holiday; in 1941, the provision was expanded to grant a paid
holiday to all federal employees. Over
the years, the political importance of the holiday would decline, but
Independence Day remained an important national holiday and a symbol of
patriotism. Falling in mid-summer, the Fourth of July has since the late 19th
century become a major focus of leisure activities and a common occasion for
family get-togethers, often involving fireworks and outdoor barbecues. The most
common symbol of the holiday is the American flag, and a common musical accompaniment
is “The Star-Spangled Banner,” the national anthem of the United States.
https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/july-4th
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