Happy Fourth of July: Celebrating America's Independence

Happy Fourth of July! Most of us celebrate the national holiday, but does everyone know the history behind it?

July 4 - also known as Independence Day - celebrates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence in 1776.

The document, which declared America’s independence from Great Britain, was written by Thomas Jefferson and signed by the Continental Congress.

READ: Declaration of Independence

It had been the work of the Congress to decide the future of the colonies -- stay with England, or strike out on their own. In the previous month, the Congress had formed a committee to create a document that would list grievances against King George III, in advance of the likely separation.

That committee included one of the representatives from Virginia – Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson, who was 33 at the time, took 17 days to craft the document – a document that served as a blueprint for the new nation.

The colonies that would become the United States of America had been at war with King George’s England for more than 440 days when the Declaration was formally adopted on July 4 by 12 of the 13 colonies – New York would approve it on July 19.

Most of us think of it as being signed on July 4, but it wasn’t. It was adopted on that day. It was signed on Aug. 2, 1776.

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John Adams believed the holiday would be celebrated July 2, the day Congress “voted in favor of independence.” Adams and Jefferson both died on July 4, 1826.

It wasn't until nearly 100 years after the Declaration was signed that July 4 became a national holiday.

Here are some facts about the Declaration:

• Two of the Declaration's signers died 50 years to the day (July 4, 1826) after the document was adopted. Both were presidents --Thomas Jefferson and John Adams. They died within hours of each other. It is reported that John Adams last words were, "Jefferson lives."
• The first public reading of the Declaration took place on July 8, 1776, in Philadelphia.
• The printer, John Dunlap, was asked to make about 200 copies. It's believed only 26 Dunlap copies still exist.
• The youngest to sign were Thomas Lynch, Jr. and Edward Rutledge. Both were only 26.
• The oldest to sign was Benjamin Franklin. Franklin was 70.
• The original sheet of parchment that was signed is 24¼ by 29¾ inches.
• The Declaration is housed in the National Archives in Washington D.C. in a special vault. That copy is not the draft that was approved by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776. Instead, it is a formal copy that the Continental Congress had commissioned.

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Most quoted part:

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

From all of us a Boston 25 News, have a happy, safe and fun Independence Day!

Cox Media Group