The United States celebrates its Independence Day on July 4.
John Adams, who later became America’s second president, wrote to his wife in 1776 that the day would be remembered with fireworks and celebrations “from one End of this Continent to the other.”
But the day he was talking about was July 2, 1776, not July 4. July 2 is the day the Continental Congress of the original 13 colonies voted for independence from Britain. Congress did not officially sign the Declaration of Independence, mainly written by Thomas Jefferson, until two days later.
Pauline Maier was a historian who wrote the 1997 book American Scripture: Making the Declaration of Independence. She wrote that in early July of 1777, members of the Continental Congress nearly forgot that it had been a year since they declared their freedom from the British.
They remembered on July 3. It was too late to celebrate on July 2. So, they decided to mark the country’s independence with a celebration the following day: July 4.
The Pennsylvania Evening Post of Philadelphia reported, “Yesterday the 4th of July, being the anniversary of the Independence of the United States of America, was celebrated in this city with demonstrations of joy and festivity.”
At night, the Post said, “There was a grand exhibition of fireworks…and the city was beautifully illuminated.”
