The Fourth of July – also known as Independence Day or July 4th – has been a federal holiday in the United States since 1941; yet the tradition of Independence Day celebrations dates back to the 18th century and the American Revolutionary War.
On July 2, 1776, the Second Continental Congress voted in favor of independence from Britain. Two days later, delegates from the 13 colonies adopted the Declaration of Independence, a historic document drafted by Thomas Jefferson.
The Declaration of Independence allowed Congress to seek alliances with foreign countries, and the fledgling U.S. formed its most important alliance early in 1778 with France. Without France’s support, America might well have lost the Revolutionary War.
The war waged by the American colonies against Britain, which began more than a year earlier in April 1775 at Lexington and Concord near Boston, would eventually end when British forces surrendered in Yorktown, Virginia. Yet the Declaration and America’s victory had far-reaching effects around the globe as other nations saw a small novel nation win its freedom from the greatest military force of its time.
From 1776 to today, July 4th has been celebrated as the birth of American independence with festivities ranging from fireworks, parades and concerts to more casual family gatherings and barbecues. This year’s Independence Day celebrating the nation’s 248th birthday will be on Thursday, July 4, 2024.
Reprinted with permission from an e-newsletter by Senator Stacey Guerin, Maine Senate District 4.