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 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 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 Washingtonissued 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 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–Federalists and
Democratic-Republicans–that had arisen began holding separate Independence Day
celebrations in many large cities.
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.
