{"id":13074,"date":"2023-07-04T07:05:00","date_gmt":"2023-07-04T13:05:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shieldagency.com\/blog\/?p=13074"},"modified":"2023-06-12T08:22:26","modified_gmt":"2023-06-12T14:22:26","slug":"history-of-july-4th-celebrations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shieldagency.com\/blog\/history-of-july-4th-celebrations\/","title":{"rendered":"History of July 4th Celebrations"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Shield Insurance Blog<\/a> | HISTORY.COM<\/a> | JUNE 21, 2022\u00a0|\u00a0July 4th | Start A Quote Today!<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Fourth of July\u2014also known as Independence Day or July 4th\u2014has 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<\/a>. On July 2nd, 1776, the Continental Congress<\/a> voted in favor of independence, and two days later delegates from the 13 colonies<\/a> adopted the Declaration of Independence, a historic document drafted by Thomas Jefferson<\/a>. From 1776 to the present day, July 4th has been celebrated as the birth of American independence, with festivities ranging from fireworks<\/a>, parades and concerts to more casual family gatherings and barbecues. The Fourth of July 2022 is on Monday, July 4, 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

WATCH: The\u00a0American Revolution<\/a>\u00a0Topic\u00a0on\u00a0HISTORY Vault<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

History of Independence Day, July 4th<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When the initial battles in the Revolutionary War<\/a> broke out in April 1775, few colonists desired complete independence from Great Britain, and those who did were considered radical.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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 \u201cCommon Sense<\/a>,\u201d published by Thomas Paine<\/a> in early 1776.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On June 7, when the Continental Congress<\/a> met at the Pennsylvania<\/a> State House (later Independence Hall) in Philadelphia, the Virginia<\/a> delegate Richard Henry Lee introduced a motion calling for the colonies\u2019 independence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Amid heated debate, Congress postponed the vote on Lee\u2019s resolution, but appointed a five-man committee\u2014including Thomas Jefferson<\/a> of Virginia, John Adams<\/a> of Massachusetts<\/a>, Roger Sherman of Connecticut<\/a>, Benjamin Franklin<\/a> of Pennsylvania and Robert R. Livingston of New York<\/a>\u2014to draft a formal statement justifying the break with Great Britain<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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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\u2014the 50th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

READ MORE: 7 Events That Led to the American Revolution<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

On July 2nd, the Continental Congress voted in favor of Lee\u2019s 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 \u201cwill be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival\u201d and that the celebration should include \u201cPomp and Parade\u2026Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On July 4th, the Continental Congress formally adopted the Declaration of Independence<\/a>, 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Early Fourth of July Celebrations and Traditions\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Click here for the rest of the story…\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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