![]() Revelers in Boston set off fireworks in 1777 as well, according to Smithsonian Magazine. Why do we have fireworks?Īt the first July 4 celebration in Philadelphia in 1777, Americans fired a cannon 13 times in honor of the original 13 colonies. Thirteen fireworks were also fired in the city as part of the celebrations. However, the declaration's famous words did not apply to everyone in the thirteen colonies, such as enslaved people, Indigenous populations and other groups. Jefferson and four other members of the Second Continental Congress, including Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman and Robert Livingston, made up a committee in 1776 tasked with drafting a declaration, which would later go through dozens of changes before being signed by 56 men.īut Jefferson is credited with writing the document we know today that calls for “unalienable rights” including “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” The Declaration of Independence was penned by Thomas Jefferson. Who wrote the Declaration of Independence? Independence Day became the most important nonreligious holiday for many Americans by the 1870s, and Congress passed a law making Independence Day a federal holiday on June 28, 1870. In a letter to his daughter, former President John Adams wrote that July 4, 1777, was celebrated in Philadelphia “with a festivity and ceremony becoming the occasion,” according to the Library of Congress.īut July 4 became more widely observed by Americans following the War of 1812. Some Americans began celebrating July 4 the year after the Declaration of Independence was signed. Traveling for the Fourth of July?: Here are the worst times to hit the road What were the first Independence Day celebrations? Twelve of the 13 colonies had approved a resolution calling for independence on July 2, 1776.Īnother fun fact: Many of the original signers didn’t ink their names on the Declaration of Independence until Aug. 2, 1776. “While declaring independence, they also declared interdependence.”įun fact: The Continental Congress didn’t vote for independence on just July 4. “They did find a way to put differences aside and join together to work for a common goal,” she added. The Congress, made up of delegates from the United States’ original 13 colonies, unanimously approved the document that declared independence from Great Britain.īarbara Clark Smith, a curator of political history at the National Museum of American History, told USA TODAY that it was an “extraordinary achievement for these colonists to get together” to adopt the founding declaration. July 4, also known as Independence Day, marks the anniversary of the Second Continental Congress adopting the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. Here’s what you need to know about Independence Day: What do we celebrate on July 4? In the nation’s capital, President Joe Biden is set to host a group of essential workers and military families on the South Lawn of the White House on Sunday. The National Park Service is also hosting the annual Independence Day fireworks celebration on the National Mall.īut why does the United States commemorate July 4 specifically, since the Declaration of Independence actually was signed later? When did Americans start observing the patriotic holiday, and why do we set off fireworks? Watch Video: Fireworks fill the sky in nation's capitalĪmericans across the country are set to celebrate July 4 this weekend with parades, barbeques and red, white and blue gear.
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