What Really Happened on the Fourth of July?
Why do we celebrate Independence Day on July 4th? When did the Continental Congress really declare independence? And when was the Declaration of Independence really signed? Learn the history behind July 4th and the Declaration of Independence in this awesome episode!
Transcript
Tzeela: Hi, I’m Tzeela!
Rina: Hi, I am Rina!
Dalia: Hi, I’m Dalia!
Penina: Hi, I’m Penina!
All: And this is Things You Thought You Knew About History!
Tzeela: Where we tell you the real story behind historical misconceptions.
It’s almost the 4th of July, the day we declared independence!
Penina: Umm that wasn’t on the 4th
Ohhhh so the day everyone signed the Declaration of Independence
Penina: Umm also not on the 4th
Tzeela: So what happened on the 4th? And when did we declare independence?
Rina: The Revolutionary War started in April 1775 and at that time most colonists didn’t desire complete independence from Great Britain but rather more rights
Tzeela: By the middle of 1776 more colonists were in favor of independence and on June 7th Henry Lee suggested to the Continental Congress that the states declare independence from Britain. A committee was appointed to write the formal declaration.
Rina: Then on July 2nd the Second Continental Congress voted in favor of independence from Great Britain, everyone voted in favor of the revolution except New York who abstained and didn’t vote either way until July 9th when they decided in favor of independence.
Tzeela: John Adams thought this would be the day we celebrate as independence day, he wrote to his wife that "I am apt to believe that will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival."
Rina: Wait, but what about July 4th then?
Dalia: On July fourth the Continental Congress ratified, ?, the final Declaration of Independence. In June, Thomas Jefferson had started writing a draft of the Declaration of Independence and John Adams and Benjamin Franklin edited it. Jefferson incorporated these edits into the final version. This version was the final wording that was approved by Continental Congress on July 4.
Rina: So when did people sign it?
Tzeela: The signing began even later, in a ceremony on August 2, starting with John Hancock's famous signature.
Rina: John Hancock went first because he was president of the Congress, and 56 others followed, though historians think seven of them signed later than August 2.
Tzeela: Two delegates, John Dickinson of Pennsylvania and Robert R. Livingston of New York didn’t sign at all.
Rina: Thomas McKean was probably the last to sign, because his name is not on the official copy Congress had printed in January 1777. This means he probably signed after that, or the printer left him out by mistake.
Tzeela: After it was signed on August 2nd, the Declaration of Independence traveled for many years. First, it was most likely kept in Philadelphia, where they’d signed it in the Pennsylvania State House that is now Independence Hall.
Rina: Then in December the continental congress was threatened by the British and moved to Baltimore, and brought the declaration with them. It stayed in Baltimore until March 1777 when it was moved back to Philadelphia.
Tzeela: After this, it traveled along with the Congress across the Northeast while there was no steady Capitol
Rina: It moved to Washington DC in 1800 and stayed there until 1814 when it was moved to an abandoned mill in Virginia because it was threatened in the War of 1812. When the White House was burned by the British it was moved to Leesburg, Virginia until it was returned to the capital a few months later.
Tzeela: Since 1814 the declaration has stayed in DC with two exceptions. It was moved to Philadelphia for the centennial celebration of 100 years as a country and moved to Fort Knox during WWII.
Rina: Why do we celebrate on July 4th and not July 2nd or August 2?
Tzeela: July fourth is the date actually written on the Declaration of Independence. That date was also included in the original printed copies that were distributed, called the Dunlap Broadsides. So this is the day people associated with independence.
The first celebration of independence, with bells ringing and bands playing, was on July 8 1776 after the Declaration of Independence was read publicly in Philadelphia.
A year later on July 4 1777, Philadelphia celebrated its first annual Independence Day with bonfires, bells, and firing of cannons and muskets.
In 1778 George Washington gave his soldiers double rations of rum for the anniversary of independence. In 1781 Massachusetts became the first state to make July fourth a state holiday
After the Revolutionary War ended people continued celebrating independence day each year. Politicians would use this opportunity to give speeches and address the people. There were even separate celebrations for the main two parties at the time, Federalist Party and Democratic-Republicans in major cities.
Celebrations on July 4th for independence day became even more common after the end of the War of 1812. Cities had parades, picnics, contests, games, military displays and fireworks
Independence day on July 4th became a federal holiday ain 1870 and in 1938 Congress established it as a paid holiday for federal employees.
Dalia: And now for the T-R-I-V-A!!!
Penina: How well do you know your national holidays?
Dalia: How many federal holidays does the US have? 11, or 12 every 4 years when there's Inauguration day for a new president
Penina: How many of the federal holidays have no set date? 6
Tzeela: What’s the newest federal holiday? Junteenth
Rina: What were the original 4 federal holidays? Were: New Year's Day, Independence Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day
Tzeela: Thank you so much for listening!!
Rina: And for those of us in the USA have a great 4th of July!!