The 4th of July

It was early in the 1770's that the dissatisfaction felt by the thirteen American colonies about having no political representation became the focal point for rebellious actions against the Crown of England.

Taxation With Out Representation

King George the III and the English Parliament had complete political control over the established colonies and when the people inhabiting them agitated for representation in the decision making process they were answered by an increase in the number of British troops garrisoned among them.

Each of the thirteen colonies sent delegates in 1774 to meet in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to form a coherent political body that could petition King George in a manner that would show him it was necessary to address the issues rather than trying to quell them with force.

The Royal answer, to the demand of this First Continental Congress, was a more aggressive application of force and in April of 1775 the King sent his troops to attack a hotbed of rebellion in Massachusetts. These colonists decided to meet force with force and the battle of Concord, Massachusetts had repercussions felt around the world.

A Second Continental Congress convened and tried further diplomatic attempts at settling their differences with England but it became evident by June of 1776 that there would be no reconciliation, it was time to declare independence from the English Crown.

Declaration of Independence

Thomas Jefferson headed the committee, which included Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Robert Livingstone and Roger Sherman, that wrote the first draft of the document. This was presented to congress on the 28th of June and it was revised and argued over until the 4th of July when a vote was taken and nine of the thirteen colonies voted in favor of the Declaration of Independence.

New York and Delaware abstained from the vote and there were two 'no' votes, one from South Carolina and the other from Pennsylvania the home of the Continental Congress. The President of the Congress was the first to sign and John Hancock did so in large letters and with much flourish so that,

"King George can read it with out spectacles".

It took two days before any newspaper printed the declaration but on the 6th of July the Pennsylvania Evening Post became the first of many that soon followed. A public reading of the Declaration of Independence on July 8th at Philadelphia's Independence Square was a joyous occasion that put the public seal of approval on the declaration.

First Celebrations

The first anniversary, the 4th of July 1777, began the tradition of annual celebration of Independence Day. In Philadelphia, Congress adjourned for the day, bells were rung about the town and bonfires were lit in the evening and the first independence day fireworks were displayed.

These local occasions quickly became common, with the festive parades, picnics, games, speeches and of course the fireworks becoming established tradition by the early 1800's.

Celebrations on the 4th of July were interrupted for the residents of Vicksburg, Mississippi during the Civil War. The siege of Vicksburg ended with a victory for the Union on July 4th 1863 and it was many decades before the holiday festivities were resumed in that town.

Modern Celebrations

Even though the 4th of July was celebrated starting as early as 1777, Congress took its glacial way until 1870 before creating the official national holiday. It did not take them nearly as long to revisit the issue when they reaffirmed the establishment of the holiday in the 1930's, while adding a plum that allows federal employees to enjoy the occasion at full pay.

While bonfires and bell ringing are no longer common forms of celebration on the 4th of July the parades, picnics, and fireworks are joined by BBQ and trips to the beach.

New York City has a tremendous fireworks display every year on the fourth that is viewed by an estimated 3 million people. Washington D.C. also puts on a spectacular show of fireworks which can be enjoyed after a day at the National Mall where the annual Smithsonian Folklife Festival will be in-progress.

Declining a 4th of July Celebration

Amidst the party atmosphere and the excitement of feast and fireworks it is easy to be distracted from thoughts of what those rebels conceived and fought for. Their fiery belief in the concept of the rights of man and the equality of all is truly represented by the the pyrotechnics of fireworks.

In June of 1826 a very ill Thomas Jefferson wrote a letter declining an invitation to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. He was so ill that he would die in less than two weeks on that very 4th of July but the fire and earnest devotion to freedom and the exercise of reason can still be felt in the words of the last letter he ever wrote,

"May it be to the world, what I believe it will be ... the signal of arousing men to burst the chains ... and to assume the blessings and security of self-government.

That form, which we have substituted, restores the free right to the unbounded exercise of reason and freedom of opinion.

All eyes are opened, or opening, to the rights of man. ... For ourselves, let the annual return of this day forever refresh our recollections of these rights, and an undiminished devotion to them."

Reference:
www.holidays.net/independence/story.htm
www.history.com/minisites/fourthofjuly/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
www.pbs.org/capitolfourth/history.html
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/
www.netglimse.com/holidays/
www.american.edu/heintze/fourth.htm
www.america.gov/