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Independence Day (United States)

Independence Day, known colloquially as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the Declaration of Independence, which was ratified by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, establishing the United States of America.

"Fourth of July" and "4th of July" redirect here. For the calendar date, see July 4. For other uses, see Fourth of July (disambiguation).

Independence Day

Fourth of July

United States

National day

The day in 1776 that the Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia

Fireworks, family reunions, concerts, barbecues, picnics, parades, baseball games

July 4[a]

Annual

The Founding Father delegates of the Second Continental Congress declared that the Thirteen Colonies were no longer subject (and subordinate) to the monarch of Britain, King George III, and were now united, free, and independent states.[1] The Congress voted to approve independence by passing the Lee Resolution on July 2 and adopted the Declaration of Independence two days later, on July 4.[1]


Independence Day is commonly associated with fireworks, parades, barbecues, carnivals, fairs, picnics, concerts,[2] baseball games, family reunions, political speeches, and ceremonies, in addition to various other public and private events celebrating the history, government, and traditions of the United States. Independence Day is the national day of the United States.[3][4][5]

In 1779, July 4 fell on a Sunday. The holiday was celebrated on Monday, July 5.

[19]

In 1777, thirteen were fired in salute, once at morning and once again as evening fell, on July 4 in Bristol, Rhode Island. An article in the July 18, 1777, issue of The Virginia Gazette noted a celebration in Philadelphia in a manner a modern American would find familiar: an official dinner for the Continental Congress, toasts, 13-gun salutes, speeches, prayers, music, parades, troop reviews, and fireworks. Ships in port were decked with red, white, and blue bunting.[20]

gunshots

In 1778, from his headquarters at , near New Brunswick, New Jersey, General George Washington marked July 4 with a double ration of rum for his soldiers and an artillery salute (feu de joie). Across the Atlantic Ocean, ambassadors John Adams and Benjamin Franklin held a dinner for their fellow Americans in Paris, France.[19]

Ross Hall

In 1781, the became the first state legislature to recognize July 4 as a state celebration.[19][21]

Massachusetts General Court

In 1783, , held a celebration with a challenging music program assembled by Johann Friedrich Peter entitled The Psalm of Joy. The town claims it to be the first public July 4 event, as it was carefully documented by the Moravian Church, and there are no government records of any earlier celebrations.[22]

Salem, North Carolina

In 1870, the made Independence Day an unpaid holiday for federal employees.[23]

U.S. Congress

In 1938, Congress changed Independence Day to a paid federal holiday.

[24]

Patriotic trailer shown in theaters celebrating July 4, 1940
Fireworks over the National Mall in Washington, D.C., every July 4 are preceded by a concert known as A Capitol Fourth, which takes place outside the U.S. Capitol and is televised on the American public television network PBS.

Fireworks over the National Mall in Washington, D.C., every July 4 are preceded by a concert known as A Capitol Fourth, which takes place outside the U.S. Capitol and is televised on the American public television network PBS.

In addition to a fireworks show, Miami, Florida, lights one of its tallest buildings with the patriotic red, white and blue color scheme on Independence Day.

In addition to a fireworks show, Miami, Florida, lights one of its tallest buildings with the patriotic red, white and blue color scheme on Independence Day.

New York City's fireworks display, shown above over the East Village, is sponsored by Macy's and is the largest[33] in the country.

New York City's fireworks display, shown above over the East Village, is sponsored by Macy's and is the largest[33] in the country.

Towns of all sizes hold celebrations. Shown here is a fireworks display in America's most eastern town, Lubec, Maine, population 1,300. Canada is across the channel to the right.

Towns of all sizes hold celebrations. Shown here is a fireworks display in America's most eastern town, Lubec, Maine, population 1,300. Canada is across the channel to the right.

A festively decorated Independence Day cake

A festively decorated Independence Day cake

Fireworks in Narberth, Pennsylvania.

Fireworks in Narberth, Pennsylvania.

Held since 1785, the in Bristol, Rhode Island, is the oldest continuous Independence Day celebration in the United States.[37]

Bristol Fourth of July Parade

Since 1868, , has held a celebration on the same town square. In 1979 Seward was designated "America's Official Fourth of July City-Small Town USA" by resolution of Congress. Seward has also been proclaimed "Nebraska's Official Fourth of July City" by Governor J. James Exon in proclamation. Seward is a town of 6,000 but swells to 40,000+ during the July 4 celebrations.[38]

Seward, Nebraska

Since 1912, the Rebild Society, a Danish-American friendship organization, has held a July 4 weekend festival that serves as a homecoming for Danish-Americans in the of Denmark.[39]

Rebild Hills

Since 1959, the is jointly held in Detroit, Michigan, and Windsor, Ontario, during the last week of June each year as a mutual celebration of Independence Day and Canada Day (July 1). It culminates in a large fireworks display over the Detroit River.

International Freedom Festival

The famous fireworks display usually held over the East River in New York City has been televised nationwide on NBC, and locally on WNBC-TV since 1976. In 2009, the fireworks display was returned to the Hudson River for the first time since 2000 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson's exploration of that river.[40]

Macy's

The has hosted a music and fireworks show over the Charles River Esplanade called the "Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular" annually since 1974.[41] Cannons are traditionally fired during the 1812 Overture.[2] The event was broadcast nationally from 1991 until 2002 on A&E, and since 2002 by CBS and its Boston station WBZ-TV. WBZ/1030 and WBZ-TV broadcast the entire event locally, and from 2002 through 2012, CBS broadcast the final hour of the concert nationally in primetime. The national broadcast was put on hiatus beginning in 2013, which Pops executive producer David G. Mugar believed was the result of decreasing viewership caused by NBC's encore presentation of the Macy's fireworks.[42][43] The national broadcast was revived for 2016, and expanded to two hours.[44] In 2017, Bloomberg Television took over coverage duty, with WHDH carrying local coverage beginning in 2018.[45]

Boston Pops Orchestra

On the lawn in Washington, D.C., A Capitol Fourth, a free concert broadcast live by PBS, NPR and the American Forces Network, precedes the fireworks and attracts over half a million people annually.[46]

Capitol

Federal holidays in the United States

Juneteenth

List of occasions known by their dates

(1922). The Declaration of Independence: A Study in the History of Political Ideas. New York: Harcourt, Brace. OCLC 60738220. Retrieved July 4, 2020. Republished: The Declaration of Independence: A Study in the History of Political Ideas. New York: Vintage Books. 1958. ISBN 9780394700601. OCLC 2234953.

Becker, Carl L.

Criblez, Adam (2013). Parading Patriotism: Independence Day Celebrations in the Urban Midwest, 1826–1876. DeKalb, IL, US: Northern Illinois University Press.  9780875806921. OCLC 1127286749.

ISBN

Heintze, James R. . American University of Washington, D.C. Archived from the original on August 15, 2000. Retrieved February 10, 2015.

"Fourth of July Celebrations Database"

USA.gov, July 4, 2014

Fourth of July Is Independence Day

U.S. State Department, June 22, 2010

U.S. Independence Day a Civic and Social Event

at the Division of Special Collections, Archives, and Rare Books, Ellis Library, University of Missouri

Fourth of July Orations Collection