"Spirit of 76"

July 4th, the Birth of Our Nation

During the American Revolution, the legal separation of the Thirteen Colonies from Great Britain occurred on July 2, 1776, when the Second Continental Congress voted to approve a resolution of independence that had been proposed in June by Richard Henry Lee of Virginia declaring the United States independent from Great Britain. After voting for independence, Congress turned its attention to the Declaration of Independence, a statement explaining this decision, which had been prepared by a Committee of Five, with Thomas Jefferson as its principal author.  Congress debated and revised the Declaration, finally approving it on July 4. A day later, John Adams had written to his wife Abigail:

The second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival.  It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more.

Adams’s prediction was off by two days. From the outset, Americans celebrated independence on July 4, the date shown on the much-publicized Declaration of Independence, rather than on July 2, the date the resolution of independence was approved in a closed session of Congress.  There is no question that July 4, 1776 is the date that the Congress approved the final official document, having voted to declare independence two days earlier.  Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Benjamin Franklin all later wrote that they had also signed it on that day.

Some interesting dates in the timeline of the growth of modern Independence Day celebrations include:

• In 1777, thirteen gunshots were fired in salute, once at morning and once again as evening fell, on July 4 in Bristol, Rhode Island. In Philadelphia, the nation’s capital, The first anniversary of the Declaration of Independence was celebrated in much the same way politicians celebrate it today: an official dinner for the Continental Congress, toasts, 13-gun salutes, speeches, prayers, music, parades, troop reviews, and fireworks. Ships were decked with red, white, and blue bunting.
• In 1778, General George Washington marked July 4 with a double ration of rum for his soldiers and an artillery salute. Across the Atlantic Ocean, ambassadors John Adams and Benjamin Franklin held a dinner for their fellow Americans in Paris, France.
• In 1781, the Massachusetts General Court became the first state legislature to recognize July 4 as a state celebration.
• In 1783, Moravians in Salem, North Carolina, held a celebration of July 4 with a challenging music program assembled by Johann Friedrich Peter. This work was titled “The Psalm of Joy”.
• In 1791, the first recorded use of the name “Independence Day” occurred.
• In 1870, the U.S. Congress made Independence Day an unpaid holiday for federal employees.
• In 1938, Congress changed Independence Day to a paid federal holiday.

Today’s Independence Day is a national holiday marked by patriotic displays and both indoor and outdoor celebrations. Families often celebrate Independence Day by hosting or attending a picnic or barbecue and take advantage of the day off and, in some years, long weekends to gather with relatives. Streamers, balloons, and clothing and other decorations are generally colored red, white, and blue, the colors of the American flag. Parades are often in the morning, while fireworks displays occur in the evening at such places as parks, fairgrounds, or town squares.  Some states allow fireworks to be sold and used by the public while other states ban the sale to the public and state governments provide massive fireworks displays and celebrations for the people.

Independence Day fireworks are often accompanied by patriotic songs such as the national anthem “The Star-Spangled Banner”, “God Bless America”, “America the Beautiful”, “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee”, “This Land Is Your Land”, “Stars and Stripes Forever”, and, regionally, “Yankee Doodle” in northeastern states and “Dixie” in southern states. Some of the lyrics recall images of the Revolutionary War or the War of 1812. A salute of one gun for each state in the United States, called a salute to the union, is fired on Independence Day at noon by any capable military base.

While the official observance always falls on July 4th, participation levels may vary according to which day of the week the 4th falls on. If the holiday falls in the middle of the week, some fireworks displays and celebrations may take place during the weekend for convenience, again, varying by region. The first week of July is typically one of the busiest American travel periods of the year, as many people utilize the holiday for extended vacation trips. All across the globe, Americans celebrate the birth of their nation with family and friends in large groups or small.  Patriotism abides in the hearts of all on July 4^th.

Sources: wikipedia.org, usa.gov, history.com