All your questions about the Fourth of July answered
Learn more about the Fourth of July holiday.
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Transcript
The Fourth of July, also called Independence Day, is an annual celebration of nationhood in the United States.
It commemorates the passage of the Declaration of Independence by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776. The Declaration of Independence announced the intention of 13 British colonies in North America to separate from Great Britain.
It resolved that “these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent states” and confirmed the colonies’ determination to be free from Great Britain by means of war. By the time the Declaration of Independence passed, its sentiments reflected widespread dissatisfaction with British rule.
Colonists were especially unhappy with a series of taxes levied by the British that included the Stamp Act, Sugar Act, and Intolerable Acts. Today the Fourth of July is celebrated in the United States with picnics, family gatherings, public festivals, and fireworks.
In the 18th century, celebrations of independence resembled British celebrations of the king’s birthday with public speeches, parades, political debate, and pyrotechnics.
It commemorates the passage of the Declaration of Independence by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776. The Declaration of Independence announced the intention of 13 British colonies in North America to separate from Great Britain.
It resolved that “these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent states” and confirmed the colonies’ determination to be free from Great Britain by means of war. By the time the Declaration of Independence passed, its sentiments reflected widespread dissatisfaction with British rule.
Colonists were especially unhappy with a series of taxes levied by the British that included the Stamp Act, Sugar Act, and Intolerable Acts. Today the Fourth of July is celebrated in the United States with picnics, family gatherings, public festivals, and fireworks.
In the 18th century, celebrations of independence resembled British celebrations of the king’s birthday with public speeches, parades, political debate, and pyrotechnics.