History of Independence Day

During the Revolutionary War, the Continental Congress commission five men to list grievances against the king of England and to declare the United States of America to be an independent nation. Those five men were Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Roger Sherman, and Robert R. Livingston. Thomas Jefferson wrote the document.

The Declaration of Independence was accepted on July 4^th, 1776 although it wasn’t signed until August 2^nd.

The first Independence Day celebration took place on July 8^th when the document was read in the square in Philadelphia. The next year, the day was celebrated with picnics and fireworks, a tradition that continues to this day.

John Adams believed Independence Day would be celebrated on July 2^nd when the first draft presented. He wrote to his wife, "I believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival... it ought to be celebrated by pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires and illuminations from one end of this continent to the other..."

Independence Day didn’t become a legal holiday until 1941 when Congress passed the law declaring it a national holiday.