The Declaration of Independence was approved by the Continental Congress on the July 4, 1776 – now known as Independence Day – and every year Americans honor the 4th of July as the birthday of the United States of America.
HISTORY
⇒ In 1775, during the Revolutionary War, very few colonists wanted complete independence from Great Britain.
⇒ On June 7, 1776, the Continental Congress met at the Pennsylvania State House in Philadelphia and Richard Henry Lee, delegate from Virginia, ushered in a motion calling for the independence of the colonies.
⇒ A committee consisting of Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Roger Sherman, and Robert R. Livingston was formed.
⇒ The committee drafted a statement justifying independence from Great Britain.
⇒ In a near-unanimous vote, the Continental Congress voted in favor of independence on July 2, 1776.
⇒ It was on the 4th of July when the Continental Congress officially adopted the Declaration of Independence.
THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE
⇒ The Declaration of Independence is the formal statement adopted by the Second Continental Congress in a meeting that took place in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on the 4th of July, 1776.
⇒ The Declaration proclaimed that the Thirteen Colonies in the midst of battle with Great Britain would be regarded as independent sovereign states, free from British sovereignty.
⇒ The independence of the 13 states marked the beginning of the formation of the United States of America.
⇒ The 13 colonies consisted of Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, New Hampshire, Massachusetts Bay, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia.
⇒ Prior to being called the Declaration of Independence, it was first referred to as the Lee Resolution, named after Richard Henry Lee.
⇒ Thomas Jefferson drafted the original Declaration of Independence, upon the persuasion of John Adams of the committee.
⇒ In the Declaration, Congress explained why they had voted to declare independence from Great Britain, after the American Revolutionary War broke out.
⇒ The Declaration had 56 signatures.
⇒ John Hancock as President of Congress presumably signed first on the engrossed copy.
⇒ The original draft can be found in the Library of Congress, in its preserved form with changes made by John Adams and Benjamin Franklin, and notes of Congress.
The official signed version is preserved at the National Archives in Washington, D.C.
CELEBRATIONS
⇒ In the summer of 1776, a few colonists celebrated Independence Day by conducting mock funerals for King George III, to symbolize the beginning of liberty and end of the monarchy’s reign on the United States.
⇒ Bonfires, parades, music concerts, and the firing of cannons were the usual festivities of Independence Day.
⇒ The Declaration of Independence was also read in public.
⇒ Amidst the ongoing war, on July 4, 1777, Philadelphia held the first annual commemoration of independence.
⇒ In 1781, Massachusetts became the first of the states to make July 4th an official state holiday.
⇒ Americans continued to commemorate the birth of independence even after the Revolutionary war.
⇒ In 1870, July 4th became a federal holiday as voted by Congress.
⇒ In 1941, it became a paid holiday to every federal employee.
⇒ It is one of the most important national holidays in the US.
⇒ In present times, 4th of July celebrations focus more on leisure activities and family get-togethers.
⇒ Fireworks and outdoor barbecues are a common sight.
⇒ The most common symbol of Independence Day is The American Flag.
⇒ The national anthem of the United States named “The Star-Spangled Banner” is usually played during the 4th of July.
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