Independence Day Revealed: Fourth of July Facts Every American Should Know

Americans associate fireworks and family with the Fourth of July. The holiday marks the anniversary of the Continental Congress approving the Declaration of Independence. Here are some little known facts about the Fourth of July that Pauline Maier highlighted in her 1997 book, American Scripture: Making the Declaration of Independence.

July 2nd, America's First Independence Day
We celebrate Independence Day on the anniversary of the day when Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence. Since the document had actually been released earlier, founding father John Addams suggested July 2nd as a day on which future generations would celebrate with guns, bonfires, and other things.

The First Fireworks
The first celebrations involved rockets not fireworks. At the Philadelphia celebration in 1777, they fired thirteen rockets to represent the thirteen colonies.

Fourth of July Was Not Universally Celebrated
The new Americans did not all celebrate the Fourth of July. During the 1770s and 1780s, the holiday was not celebrated in all American towns. The Declaration of Independence In fact, many of the states had made their own independent declarations after the Continental Congress approved the Declaration of the Independence. They used their own words and language to declare their break as colonies from England.

Declaration of Independence Facts
Here are a few interesting facts about the Declaration of Independence. Many founding fathers signed the Declaration of Independence in August not July. The Declaration of Independence spent the war at Fort Knox.

Other Important American Events Occurring on July 4th
Many other important American events occurred on the Fourth of July: In 1803, the Louisiana Purchase was announced to the American people. In 1817, construction of the Erie Canal begins. New York abolishes slavery on July 4, 1827. Thoreau begins to live at Walden Pond in 1845. The Siege of Vicksburg ends in 1863 on the Fourth of July. President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Freedom of Information Act in 1966. Famous Americans born on July 4th include writer Nathaniel Hawthorne, songwriter Stephen Foster, James Bailey of circus fame, filmmaker Louis B. Mayer, advice columnists Ann Landers and Abigail Van Buren.

Founding Fathers and the Fourth of July
On the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson died on July 4, 1826. In 1821, James Monroe died on the Fourth of July, too. Only one president, Calvin Coolidge was born on the holiday.

Have a great holiday!