Variously known as
the Fourth of July and Independence Day, 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
(1775-83). In June 1776, representatives of the 13 colonies then fighting in
the revolutionary struggle weighed a resolution that would declare their
independence from Great Britain. On July 2nd, the Continental Congress voted in
favor of independence, and two days later its delegates adopted the Declaration
of Independence, a historic document drafted by Thomas Jefferson. From 1776
until the present day, July 4th has been celebrated as the birth of American
independence, with typical festivities ranging from fireworks, parades and
concerts to more casual family gatherings and barbecues.
THE BIRTH OF AMERICAN
INDEPENDENCE
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 Thomas Paine’s
bestselling pamphlet “Common Sense,” published in early 1776. On June 7, when
the Continental Congress met at the PennsylvaniaState 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.
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 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.
JULY 4TH BECOMES A
NATIONAL 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.
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