Fourth of July

Independence Day (United States)

Independence Day of the United States, also referred to as the Fourth of July or July Fourth in the U.S., is a federal holiday commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, by the Continental Congress declaring that the thirteen American colonies regarded themselves as a new nation, the United States of America, and no longer part of the British Empire.^[1] Independence Day is commonly associated with fireworks, parades, barbecues,carnivals, fairs, picnics, concerts, baseball games, family reunions, and political speeches and ceremonies, in addition to various other public and private events celebrating the history, government, and traditions of the United States. Independence Day is the National Day of the United States.

 

Displays of fireworks, such as these over theWashington Monument in 1986, take place across the United States on Independence Day.

Observance

• In 1777, thirteen gunshots were fired in salute, once at morning and once again as evening fell, on July 4 in Bristol, Rhode Island. Philadelphia celebrated the first anniversary in a manner a modern American would find quite familiar: 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.^[14]
• In 1778, from his headquarters at Ross Hall, near New Brunswick, New Jersey, General George Washington marked July 4 with a double ration of rum for his soldiers and an artillery salute (feu de joie). Across the Atlantic Ocean, ambassadors John Adams and Benjamin Franklin held a dinner for their fellow Americans in Paris, France.^[15]

American children of many ethnic backgrounds celebrate noisily in 1902 Puck cartoon

• In 1779, July 4 fell on a Sunday. The holiday was celebrated on Monday, July 5.^[15]
• In 1781, the Massachusetts General Court became the first state legislature to recognize July 4 as a state celebration.^[15]
• 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." This is recognized as the first recorded celebration and is still celebrated there today.^[16]
• In 1791, the first recorded use of the name "Independence Day" occurred.^{[citation needed]}
• In 1870, the U.S. Congress made Independence Day an unpaid holiday for federal employees.^[17]
• In 1938, Congress changed Independence Day to a paid federal holiday.^[18]