On the 4th of July in 2022, celebrate America’s 244th birthday, and the day the Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Continental Congress! For many, this is a time for patriotic celebration; for others, it represents the end of slavery. Whatever your personal views, Independence Day serves as a day of reflection on the founding principles of the United States. The Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence on this day in 1776, announcing America’s independence from Great Britain.
Here are some interesting facts about this special day:
1. The United States Declaration of Independence was signed on July 4, 1776.
The United States Declaration of Independence was written and adopted by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776. The document’s authors were Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, Robert Livingston, and James Madison. It declared the Thirteen Colonies free and independent states and established their government as the “United States of America” (US). The seven signers of the Declaration are considered to be the Founding Fathers, the men who laid the foundation for the United States. The names of the seven signers are inscribed on the back of the Statue of Liberty.
2. The Liberty Bell is an iconic symbol of American independence. It was commissioned in 1752, and first rang on July 8, 1776.
The Liberty Bell is an iconic symbol of American independence. It was commissioned in 1752, and first rang on July 8, 1776. The Liberty Bell was used to call citizens to meetings and to record Pennsylvania legislative sessions and proclamations. The original bell was cracked during the war, and a new one was cast in 1756. This replacement bell still hangs in the Pennsylvania State House in Harrisburg. A replica of the Liberty Bell was cast in Philadelphia in 1846. Today, both the original and the replica are on display in their respective state capitols.
3. The national day of celebration on July 4th was first celebrated as a holiday in 1870.
On July 4, 1870, President Ulysses S. Grant signed a bill establishing July 4th as a national holiday. Before this date, Americans widely observed Independence Day, with many holding picnics, parades, fireworks displays, and other events. Adopting a national holiday on the 4th allowed the holiday to be more broadly celebrated and integrated into American culture.
4. The first Independence Day parade in America was held in 1876.
On July 4, 1876, the Sons of Liberty (a fraternal organization initially founded in 1766) held an Independence Day celebration along with a grand parade in New York City. The event was so successful that it was repeated annually until 1893. The festivities became known as the “Festival of the Sun” and attracted as many as 100,000 people per day.
In 1893, astronomer George Ellery Hale had the idea of creating an international astronomy event to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the US Centennial. Hale invited representatives from 18 different countries and located the celebration in Washington, DC, USA, where it continues to this day as the American Astronomical Society’s National Astronomy Meeting (NAM). NAM has grown into the world’s largest gathering of astronomical scientists.
5. The Statue of Liberty was a gift from France.
The Statue of Liberty is a gift from the people of France. In 1886, Edouard Beaudouin, the French ambassador to the United States, asked his friend, sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, to design a woman to symbolize Liberty. The result was the Statue of Liberty, a gift from the people of France to the people of the United States. Bartholdi had asked for a small gift in return, and the people of France chose to honor him by giving this gift. The Statue of Liberty was erected as a gift to the United States on July 4, 1886, in New York Harbor. It stands on Bedloe’s Island, at the foot of where Fort Wadsworth once stood. The pedestal was built later.
6. President George Washington is often referred to as the “Father of our Country.”
George Washington was the first President of the United States. He is often referred to as the “Father of our Country” because he took charge of the Continental Army during the American Revolution, leading them to victory at the Battle of Trenton on December 26, 1776. For this accomplishment, he was elected President in 1783.
7. The American Flag is the official flag of the United States.
The official flag of the United States is known as the “Star-Spangled Banner.” This flag has a field of 13 horizontal stripes, alternating red and white. A blue rectangle in the upper hoist quarter consists of 15 stars, representing the number of states in the Union at the time of the flag’s adoption. At the time of its adoption, there were 13 states. In July 1777, Vermont became the 14th state. There are now 50 states in the United States. The 47 stars represent the original 13 colonies and the addition of the new states of Alaska and Hawaii since the flag’s creation.
8. More than 200 million hot dogs are consumed in the United States on Independence Day.
The Fourth of July is a holiday celebrated by Americans on the Fourth of July. It is a federal holiday in the United States that occurs on the fourth Thursday of July. It celebrates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. The holiday is generally marked by patriotic displays and events and family reunions. More than 200 million hot dogs are consumed on this day.
9. The song “The Star-Spangled Banner” was written by Francis Scott Key. It was first published on September 14, 1814.
On September 14, 1814, Francis Scott Key, a lawyer and amateur poet from Maryland, watched from his home as British troops marched from the town of Baltimore to attack the city of Washington, DC Key saw the flags of the British Army, which were flying at half-mast, and was inspired to write “The Star-Spangled Banner” after witnessing the battle. The poem was first published in the Baltimore Patriot on September 19, 1814. “The Star-Spangled Banner” is an iconic American song and an unofficial national anthem, and it has been recorded by many notable artists, including Jimi Hendrix and Frank Sinatra.
10. The first Fourth of July fireworks were displayed in Philadelphia in 1777.
When the first Fourth of July was celebrated in Philadelphia on July 2, 1777, fireworks were not without. There were three reported firework displays that night. A week later, on July 9, a boat with a salute fired from Fort Mifflin to celebrate the holiday ignited the hull and sent hundreds of gallons of rum, gunpowder, and other supplies into the Delaware River. These first Fourth of July fireworks shows were likely the result of an accident, but they demonstrated a desire on the part of Americans to celebrate the day.
11. Most of the members of the Continental Congress were not Americans.
The members of the Continental Congress were not Americans, and most were not even residents of the thirteen colonies. Maryland’s Charles Carroll signed the Declaration because he was a Catholic in a Protestant nation and had little to fear from the British. Pennsylvania’s John Dickinson was German and didn’t consider himself American at all. Some statesmen, like Virginia’s Richard Henry Lee and Massachusetts’ Samuel Adams, were born out on American soil but came of age in Europe.
And some delegates were former British subjects who had come to America to escape violence or persecution at home. Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, John Adams, and other leaders were present in Philadelphia during the summer of 1776. The Continental Congress was an actual “Convention” of sorts.
12. Betsy Ross made the first American flag.
Some historians believe that Betsy Ross made the first American flag. However, there is no conclusive evidence that she did. In 1870, George C. Mason, a nephew of George Washington, published a memoir saying that he had talked with the President on a number of occasions about making flags for the Army. According to his biography, Washington had told Mason that Betsy Ross was a good seamstress but was not very imaginative and had never made an original flag.
Wrapping It Up
We hope you enjoyed learning about some of the exciting facts surrounding American Independence Day. How did you celebrate this year’s independence day?
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