America wasn't born in one day.
Independence was a long, hard struggle that took many years, battles, and lives to accomplish. Yet, we stop on the 4th of July to remember the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776 as the turning point to a new country, the United States of America.
History books are full of facts about this and the Revolutionary War. Most history texts dutifully include the dates and people that changed this country from a colony to an independent republic. Want more interesting 4th of July facts?
To liven up your student's learning, here are some facts from History.com that will help your learner be more knowledgeable in U.S. History class:
– July 2, not July 4, is when the Second Continental Congress voted for independence. Two days later they adopted the Declaration of Independence, drafted by Thomas Jefferson.
– The Continental Congress voted for independence from Great Britain not in Washington, D.C., but in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at the State House.
– Some American colonists celebrated the birth of independence by staging mock funerals for King George III accompanied by bells, processions, and bonfires (which were used to celebrate the king's birthday in pre-Revolutionary years.)
– The first 4th of July commemoration was July 4, 1777, celebrated by Congress while the country was occupied and fighting in the Revolutionary War.
– The U.S. Congress did not make the 4th of July a federal holiday until 1870, after both the U.S. Civil War and the War of 1812 (also against Great Britain).
– Due to the Revolutionary War's time constraints, Congress did not fully address slave trade in the writing of the U.S. Constitution. This mistake would cause a future American War, the U.S. Civil War.
(Source for facts history.com)
What's your favorite fact about the 4th of July? Be independent and share your thoughts.