you know we celebrate our nation's independence on the 4th of July but do you know how this holiday
came to be when was it first celebrated what is its true meaning let me share
with you this fascinating story of American history today on ancestral findings podcast
most people know we celebrate our nation on the 4th of July it is a national holiday just
for the United States some other nations have their own similar celebrations but only ours
is on July 4th while we may associate the 4th of July with patriotism and fireworks displays
all across the country and maybe a barbecue or picnic with friends or family do we really know
the true meaning and history of this uniquely American holiday this is the real story behind
the reason we celebrate the United States on the 4th of July not many Americans know this
but the original 13 American colonies officially declared independence from Great Britain on July
2nd 1776 not the 4th Thomas Jefferson has already written the Declaration of Independence and the
Continental Congress agreed independence should be declared in fact John Adams was
sure July 2nd will go down in history as a great patriotic national holiday he even wrote to his
wife Abigail about it saying 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 forevermore well John almost had it right we do celebrate American independence
that way but we don't do it on July 2nd we do it on July 4th why the change in date the reason is
pretty simple while Independence was officially declared on the second the Continental Congress
wanted some edits to Jefferson's document the Congress took two more days to revise
it and then vote on the edits the Declaration of Independence in its final and current form was
approved by the Continental Congress on July 4th 1776 we celebrate the day the Continental Congress
approved the written Declaration of Independence not today they officially declared independence
from Great Britain it's a subtle distinction but important to know you want to know exactly
what you're celebrating right the July 4th date was probably selected because it is the
date written on the final approved version of the Declaration of Independence everyone knows this
date because it was publicized with copies of the Declaration being sent out all over the new nation
every colony got at least one copy while other colonies got more and everyone heard about it in
their local coffee houses and newspapers that date became famous the original July 2nd date was not
well known outside the members of the Continental Congress because that session of Congress was not
open to the public people only knew about it later from the published minutes of that session not
everyone heard about it like they did with the Declaration of Independence everyone knew about
that the date the Declaration of Independence was signed is still a matter of historical debate John
Hancock Thomas Jefferson John Adams and Benjamin Franklin all wrote independently of one another
that they personally signed the Declaration on the 4th however most historians now believe it was
signed on August 2nd 1776 however it is possible different members of the Continental Congress
signed the document at different times as a matter of historical interest Thomas Jefferson and John
Adams were the only signers of the Declaration of Independence to serve as US presidents also
interestingly they both died the same day as each other July 4th 1826 the 50th anniversary of
the approval of the Declaration of Independence Jefferson was particularly keen on making sure
he lived to witness that special anniversary as it was an important one to him in his life one
of the last things he said was to ask whether it was the Four when he was told it was he was able
to let go and meanwhile hundreds of miles away from Virginia where Jefferson was John Adams was
speaking his last words in Massachusetts Adams never forgot his old revolutionary friend and
though they had a political falling-out with each other for many years they reconciled and wrote to
each other often in their old age Adams last words were that Jefferson still lived he did
not know Jefferson had passed away four hours prior in Virginia the history of the fourth of
July has been part of the United States from it's very beginning the very first time it was
celebrated in some manner was on July 4 1777 when 13 gun shots were fired in the morning and then
again in the evening in Bristol Rhode Island the same day in Philadelphia Pennsylvania an official
dinner was held for members of the Continental Congress which included toasts 13 gun salutes
music parades fireworks prayers and speeches the ships in port were decorated in red white and blue
colors to commemorate the celebration the next year in 1778 with the American Revolution still
going George Washington rewarded his troops with extra rations on July 4th as well as an artillery
salute overseas in France colonial ambassadors John Adams and Benjamin Franklin had dinner with
their fellow American Patriots in Paris France the holiday was celebrated every year in some way or
other in every colony even while the Revolution was still going on in 1781 Massachusetts became
the first state to make the fourth an official holiday at the state level July 4th was made
an official federal holiday around the nation in 1870 though it was an unpaid holiday for federal
workers Congress changed the fourth - a paid federal holiday in 1938 even from the very first
celebration in 1777 families have celebrated the 4th of July in a similar way with picnics
family gatherings leisure and even small fireworks displays the nation beginning with each individual
colony and continuing at the national level in Washington DC has always made the fourth a big
production with fireworks parades and other public festivities the fourth has been part
of our national history from the very beginning of our independence and we continue to celebrate
it today in our modern world always remembering it as our freedom as a nation we are celebrating
do you read genealogical magazines if not you should they are invaluable resources
for learning new skills connecting with other researchers of your family lions
and discovering historical secrets that will tell you more about your ancestors and how they
lived next time on the ancestral findings podcast I'll give you seven best ones you
should have on your reading list copyright by ancestral findings all rights reserved
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