Fourth of July: What Is Independence Day?
What is Independence Day?
The third Thursday in July is known as Independence Day, and it is celebrated on the Fourth of July, which is always the first day of the summer solstice. The date of the holiday was chosen to commemorate the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. The declaration was the conclusion of a series of debates held in Philadelphia in 1776 that helped establish the new nation. The document was signed by 51 delegates who had been elected to write a new form of government in America. The original design of the paper notes to have listed the 11 colonies as the 13 colonies and the final note as the Declaration of Independence.
The American Revolution
On July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress voted to declare the people of the Thirteen Colonies united under the British Crown, as opposed to being a colony, hence their decision to become an independent nation. On July 2, the 13 colonies agreed to that plan and promised to fight for independence against Britain. The Declaration of Independence On July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress voted to declare the people of the Thirteen Colonies united under the British Crown, as opposed to being a colony, hence their decision to become an independent nation. On July 2, the 13 colonies agreed to that plan and promised to fight for independence against Britain. Congress voted on a Declaration of Independence.
The Declaration of Independence
On July 4, 1776, Thomas Jefferson wrote to the Founding Fathers in Congress that they should declare independence from Great Britain, “in order to form a more perfect union.” At that point, the British, the French, and the Dutch had intervened in the French and Indian War (also called the Seven Years’ War) and there was open warfare in the colonies. The Americans were tired of being ruled by Great Britain. They wanted an end to the constant warfare and were in open revolt. But they had not yet gotten the right to vote. France and the United States had been allies for centuries. The French gave the colonies weapons and naval assistance against the British. In exchange, the colonists promised to help defend the French people from an impending British attack.
The Birth of the United States
The Continental Congress convened on July 4, 1776, and signed the Declaration of Independence that day. The document that they wrote has been changed over the years, but there are some things about the Constitution and Bill of Rights in the document that has remained constant throughout all of those revisions. We celebrate the birth of the United States of America every year because there is a lot of history that it represents. It is the product of the entire nation coming together in unity to create something that had never existed before. It was signed by 12 signers of the document, and only 11 of them could vote for the document. The Declaration of Independence was signed by representatives from 13 colonies, and the Congress was formed to give them the right to vote and have a voice.
The Significance of July 4
The “Declaration of Independence” (also called the “Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking Up Arms”) that was adopted on July 4, 1776, would later serve as the basis for the Declaration of Independence. The date we celebrate July 4 is the date that was traditionally set for the signing of the Declaration of Independence, but it didn’t become an official public holiday until 1938. There was a quirk in how the American calendar was set up at the time that went along with the Fourth of July. July 4 was always a Wednesday, and Independence Day didn’t become a national holiday until 1939. July 4, 1776, was the final day in July when British forces were present in the colonies.
Read Also: 4 July USA Independence Day, What Happened in July 4th 1776
Conclusion
So there you have it, the quintessential three points of American independence from Great Britain, one that is preserved in the minds of the people even today. I hope that the information above helps in understanding the celebration of America’s independence. I would strongly suggest that you also review the Wikipedia pages, if not, they provide a good enough overview of what the Fourth of July is all about. References: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independence_Day http://www.usobst.com/culture/colonial/the-independence-day-legacy/index.html http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/independence-day http://www.american-history.com/lesson-1.html http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2014/07/independence-day-a-fact-of-history/303530/ http://www.boston.
