Fireworks. Cookouts. Flags. Freedom. These are some of the first words that come to my mind when I think of the Fourth of July. While we are all out enjoying the holiday, take a moment to remember the meaning behind this day.
If you’re anything like me, your last American History class was a few years ago, so you might be a little rusty on some of the details surrounding Independence Day.
Here is a little refresher on the history of the Fourth of July. As the Revolutionary War drew to an end, America wanted to declare its independence from Great Britain. On June 7, 1776 the Continental Congress appointed a five-man committee to draft a formal statement justifying the break from Great Britain. The members of this committee included: Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Roger Sherman, Benjamin Franklin and Robert Livingston (although Jefferson is credited with writing a large majority of the document). On July 2, 1776 the Continental Congress voted in favor of independence in a close to unanimous vote, which later became unanimous. So on July 4th, Congress officially adopted the Declaration of Independence. Even though the vote for independence actually took place on July 2nd, from then on the Fourth became the day that we celebrate America’s independence from Great Britain.
On July 4, 1826 (the 50th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence) John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both died.
American Flag Trivia:
Did you know that the red and white stripes on the American Flag represent the 13 original colonies and the stars represent all 50 states in the USA. Betsy Ross is thought to have created the first stars and stripes flag, because she was the best known among women during the Revolutionary War who made flags for our country.
We hope you enjoy celebrating America’s Independence Day. If you are looking for activities in the Indianapolis area, we have you covered. Check back on Monday for some upcoming local events.
