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Independence Day, or the fourth of July, is a national holiday commemorating the day in 1776 that our nation’s founding fathers formally declared independence from Britain and King George III. The 13 original colonies were now considered united, free and independent states.
While Independence Day is formally celebrated yearly on the fourth of July, the Declaration of Independence was first signed on July 2, 1776 by the Second Continental Congress and formally declared two days later on the fourth.
Founding father John Adams would write in a letter to his wife Abigail on the third of July, “The second day of July 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more.”
Adams’ prediction of the date was off by two days, but he was not wrong about the celebrations the event would inspire for the next 244 years.
Among the more notable celebrations is the Bristol 4th of July Parade, held in Bristol, Rhode Island. Bristol has continuously held an Independence Day parade since 1785 and is considered the longest standing continuous celebration in the country. Another of the notable celebrations is New York City’s celebration of Independence Day. Typically the fireworks display is held over the East River and is the largest in the country and has been televised nationally and locally since 1979, but due to COVID, American families will find other ways to celebrate this year.
In true American style, the general public doesn’t skimp on the festivities either. According to Business Insider, Americans consume around 155 million hot dogs on the fourth every year. We also spend $92 million on chips, $167.5 million on watermelon and $341 million on beer.
While these fun facts are interesting, they aren’t what Independence Day is about. 244 years ago our founding fathers risked life and limb to write our country into existence. The celebrations remind people of the values our country was founded on and pass down our nation’s legacy of giving our lives for the freedom we hold so dear. Happy birthday America! Cheers to another 244!
| Date Taken: | 07.04.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 12.30.2020 14:16 |
| Story ID: | 386153 |
| Location: | ARABIAN SEA |
| Web Views: | 18 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Independence Day, by PO2 Dale Cornelison, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
