Independence Day: All you need to know
- Independence Day marks separation of the 13 colonies from the British Empire
- The founding fathers all signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776
- Americans observe Independence Day, now a federal holiday, annually on July 4
Summer is officially here, which means Independence Day is just around the corner.
Americans traditionally celebrate the holiday, also known as July 4, with parades, barbecues and fireworks shows. The White House holds a picnic, during which the President delivers a speech touting the accomplishments or progression of the country over the years.
Independence Day is deeply rooted in American culture, and for good reason. The celebration has been ongoing since 1776, when the founding father’s signed the declaration of Independence.
Independence Day, or July 4, marks the 13 colonies becoming an independent nation no longer under British rule
Want to know more? Here’s all you need to know about Independence Day.
What is Independence Day?
Independence Day, or July 4, commemorates the signing and adoption of the Declaration of Independence. The document, signed by John Jay, Thomas Jefferson and George Washington, declared that the 13 colonies would regard themselves as a new nation, called the United States.
It also stated that they’d no longer be ruled by the British Empire.
Independence Day date
The Declaration of Independence was adopted by Continental Congress on July 4, 1776. As such, Independence Day is celebrate annually on July 4.
In 2018, America will have been a nation for 242 years.
American flag
In 1777, the Second Continental Congress passed a Flag Resolution that said the flag of the United States ‘be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation’, according to PBS.
The origin of the first American flag is unknown to this day. A popular theory is that it was designed by Francis Hopkinson, a New Jersey Congressman, and sewn by Betsy Ross.
Between 1777 and 1960, Congress passed a number of acts that affected the shape, design and arrangement of the flag. They also allowed stars and stripes to be added to the design to represent the admission of each new state.
Fourth of July quotes
- ‘Liberty is the breath of life to nations’ — George Bernard Shaw
- ‘The American, by nature, is optimistic. He is experimental, an inventor, and a builder who builds best when called upon to build greatly’ — John F. Kennedy
- ‘America was not built on fear. America was built on courage, on imagination, and an unbeatable determination to do the job at hand’ — Harry S. Truman
- ‘America, to me, is freedom’ — Willie Nelson
- ‘May we think of freedom not as the right to do as we please, but as the opportunity to do what is right’ — Peter Marshall
- ‘In the truest sense, freedom cannot be bestowed; it must be achieved’ — Franklin D. Roosevelt
- ‘This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave’ — Elmer Davis
- ‘The essence of America — that which really unites us — is not ethnicity, or nationality, or religion. It’s an idea — and what an idea it is: that you can come from humble circumstances and do great things. That it doesn’t matter where you come from, but where you are going’ — Condoleezza Rice
- ‘I believe in America because we have great dreams, and because we have the opportunity to make those dreams come true’ — Wendell Willkie
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