The United States Independence Day - The Fourth of July: July 2011

In the United States, Independence Day, also called the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday celebrating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain.

Independence Day, as the only holiday celebrating the United States as a whole, is a national holiday marked by patriotic displays. Many politicians make it a point on this day to appear at a public event to praise the nation's heritage, society and people. Families often mark The Fourth with a picnic or barbecue, and often gather with family relatives, taking advantage of the longer weekend or day off from work. Parades are often held the morning of The Fourth, afternoon baseball games are not uncommon, and the evening is usually marked by public displays of fireworks (Fireworks have been associated with the Fourth of July since 1777).

History: New Englanders had been fighting Britain since April 1775. The first motion in the Continental Congress for independence was made on June 8. After hard debate the Congress voted unanimously (12-0), but secretly, for independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain on July 2. The Congress re-worked the text of the Declaration until a little after 11 o'clock, July 4th, when 13 colonies voted for adoption and released an unsigned copy to the printers. (New York omitted both votes.) Philadelphia celebrated the Declaration with public readings and bonfires on July 8. Not until August 2 would a fair printing be signed by the members of the Congress, but even that was kept secret to protect the members from British reprisal.

However, despite the inception of and the cause for Independence Day, it is largely uncommon for Americans to express anti-British sentiment on that day or to view it as a celebration of anti-colonialism. In fact, most Americans today consider the United Kingdom their greatest ally! And so, contemporary Americans generally perceive the holiday as a celebration of the USA itself, rather than specifically as an opportunity to commemorate the end of British rule in the 18th century.

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