Americans celebrate Independence Day on July 4 with fireworks, parades and family gatherings. However, many people are unaware that the decision to declare independence from Great Britain was approved two days earlier, on July 2, 1776.
So why did July 4 become the official national holiday instead? The answer lies in the history of the Declaration of Independence and how it came to represent the birth of the United States.
US Independence Day is celebrated on July 4. This year, the holiday falls on a Saturday and marks the 250th anniversary of the United States’ independence.
The Vote for Independence Came on July 2
The move toward independence began after growing tensions between the American colonies and Great Britain over issues such as unfair taxes and the presence of British soldiers in their homes. Rising tensions between the American colonies and Great Britain eventually resulted in the Revolutionary War, which started in 1775, according to History.com.
On July 2, 1776, the Continental Congress voted in favour of a resolution declaring the colonies independent from Britain, reported the National Constitution Center. Established between 1607 and 1732, the 13 colonies included Virginia, Massachusetts, New York, Maryland, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Delaware, North Carolina, South Carolina, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Georgia.
The resolution, introduced by Richard Henry Lee of Virginia, declared the 13 colonies “free and independent States,” ending their ties with Britain, as per a report in The Washington Post.
Why July 4 Became Independence Day
Although the vote took place on July 2, Congress approved the declaration on July 4, 1776. Drafted primarily by Thomas Jefferson, the document explained the reasons behind the colonies’ decision to declare independence. The first printed copies of the Declaration of Independence, known as the Dunlap broadside, carried the date “July 4, 1776.” As a result, many people came to associate July 4 with American independence.
The approval was not marked by any formal ceremony or public reading. Instead, printed copies of the declaration were quickly distributed across the colonies. However, the official engrossed copy was prepared later, and most delegates signed it in August 1776.
When Did It Become a National Holiday?
Independence Day did not become a nationwide celebration until nearly a century after the Declaration of Independence was signed. The day was not recognised as a federal holiday until 1870, when the US Congress officially designated Independence Day as a national holiday on June 28, according to the Library of Congress. In 1938, it was also declared a paid holiday for federal employees.
