During the American Revolution, on July 2, 1776, the Second
Continental Congress declared legal separation of the thirteen U.S. colonies
from Great Britain. It was on that date that the patriots voted to accept a
written resolution of independence and break away from England’s rule.
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| Committee of Five |
During the following two days, Congress concentrated on polishing
the content of the document and changing some wording to what they called the Declaration of Independence. It was a
document that explained the action of the 13 English colonies to become the United
States of America, a new, separate nation that no longer accepted Great
Britain’s authority. The statement came from the Committee of Five with Thomas
Jefferson as its principal author. The committee worked on the declaration beginning
June 11, 1776, and presented it on July 2nd. Members of Congress completed revising
the document two days later on July 4th.
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| John Adams |
John Adams, a member of the Committee of Five and the Continental
Congress, wanted July 2nd to be recognized as the birthday of the United States
since that was the day the Congress officially declared the U.S. Colonies were
no longer part of the British Empire.
On July 3rd, Adams, who later became the second U.S.
president, penned a letter to his wife, Abigail. In part he wrote, “The second
day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the History of America.”
He went on to call July 2nd a day to be filled with
celebrations by future generations. Adams said July 2, 1776, was a day of
deliverance. Congress settled on making July 4th the official
holiday date since that was the day the patriots approved the revised document
they titled the Declaration of
Independence.
The news about the United States becoming a separate nation
from England spread slowly. Many citizens didn’t learn about the break from
England until several days after the Second Continental Congress made the big
decision. In fact, a popular movement wanted July 10th to be the country’s
birthday since it took that long for the majority of the population to get the
news that they had separated from England.
Adams specified celebrations in the letter he sent to his
wife, but such events were modest until the war ended in 1783. The Fourth of
July became a day communities celebrated by holding speeches, military events,
parades, and fireworks. But July 4th didn’t become an official federal holiday
until 1941.
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| Thomas Jefferson |
The founding fathers who made up the U.S. Congress risked
their lives in agreeing to separate from Great Britain. King George III named
them traitors who could be executed for treason. Since they felt like loyal
Englishmen during the beginning of the U.S. Colonies, the patriots undoubtedly
felt torn between their loyalty to the king and their involvement in the
revolution.
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| James Monroe |
July 4th is the date of coincidences involving three of our
founding fathers. Each of them lived beyond the expected lifespan of people in
the 19th century. John Adams, the second president, and Thomas Jefferson, the
third president, both died on Independence Day, 1826. It was the 50th anniversary
of the Declaration. They lived well beyond the average lifespan of people in
the 19th century. Adams was 91 years old when he died that morning. Jefferson,
83, died that afternoon. They were the only signers of the Declaration who
become presidents.
James Monroe, the fifth U.S. president, died on July 4,
1831. He was 73 years old. Monroe didn’t sign the Declaration of
Independence.
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