Independence Day (United States)

July 4th national birthday celebration

"Fourth of July" and "4th of July" redirect here. For the calendar date, see July 4. For other uses, see Fourth of July (disambiguation).

Independence Day

Fireworks displays, such as these over the Washington Monument in 1986, take place annually across the United States on July 4th, known as Independence Day.

Also called| Fourth of July
Observed by| United States
Type| National day
Significance| The day in 1776 that the Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia
Celebrations| Fireworks, family reunions, concerts, barbecues, picnics, parades, baseball games
Date| July 4[a]
Frequency| Annual

Independence Day, known colloquially as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States which commemorates the ratification of the Declaration of Independence by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, establishing the United States of America.

The Founding Father delegates of the Second Continental Congress declared that the Thirteen Colonies were no longer subject (and subordinate) to the monarch of Britain, King George III, and were now united, free, and independent states.[1] The Congress voted to approve independence by passing the Lee Resolution on July 2 and adopted the Declaration of Independence two days later, on July 4.[1]

Independence Day is commonly associated with fireworks, parades, barbecues, carnivals, fairs, picnics, concerts,[2] baseball games, family reunions, political speeches, and ceremonies, in addition to various other public and private events celebrating the history, government, and traditions of the United States. Independence Day is the national day of the United States.[3][4][5]

## Background

[edit]

During the American Revolution, the legal separation of the thirteen colonies from Great Britain in 1776 actually occurred on July 2, when the Second Continental Congress voted to approve a resolution of independence that had been proposed in June by Richard Henry Lee of Virginia declaring the United States independent from Great Britain's rule.[6][7] After voting for independence, Congress turned its attention to the Declaration of Independence, a statement explaining this decision, which had been prepared by the Committee of Five, which asked Thomas Jefferson to author its first draft.

While Jefferson consulted extensively with the other four members of the Committee of Five, he largely wrote the Declaration of Independence in isolation over 17 days between June 11, 1776, and June 28, 1776, from the second floor he was renting in a three-story private home at 700 Market Street in Philadelphia, now known as the Declaration House, and within walking distance of Independence Hall.[8]

Congress debated and revised the wording of the Declaration, removing Jefferson's vigorous denunciation of King George III for importing the slave trade, finally approving it two days later on July 4. A day earlier, John Adams wrote to his wife Abigail:

> The second day of July 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more.[9]

Adams's prediction was off by two days. From the outset, Americans celebrated independence on July 4, the date shown on the much-publicized Declaration of Independence, rather than on July 2, the date the resolution of independence was approved in a closed session of Congress.[10]

Historians have long disputed whether members of Congress signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4, even though Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Benjamin Franklin all later wrote that they had signed it on that day. Most historians have concluded that the Declaration was signed nearly a month after its adoption, on August 2, 1776, and not on July 4 as is commonly believed.[11][12][13][14][15]

By remarkable coincidence, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, the only two signatories of the Declaration of Independence later to serve as presidents of the United States, both died on the same day: July 4, 1826, which was the 50th anniversary of the Declaration.[16] Although not a signatory of the Declaration of Independence, James Monroe, another Founding Father who was elected president, also died on July 4, 1831, making him the third President who died on the anniversary of independence.[17] The only U.S. president to have been born on Independence Day was Calvin Coolidge, who was born on July 4, 1872.[18]

## Observance

[edit]

Independence Day issue of The Saturday Evening Post in 1924 An illustration of American children celebrating noisily in a 1902 Puck cartoon

* In 1777, thirteen gunshots were fired in salute, once at morning and once again as evening fell, on July 4 in Bristol, Rhode Island. An article in the July 18, 1777, issue of The Virginia Gazette noted a celebration in Philadelphia in a manner a modern American would find familiar: an official dinner for the Continental Congress, toasts, 13-gun salutes, speeches, prayers, music, parades, troop reviews, and fireworks. Ships in port were decked with red, white, and blue bunting.[19]
* In 1778, from his headquarters at Ross Hall, near New Brunswick, New Jersey, General George Washington marked July 4 with a double ration of rum for his soldiers and an artillery salute (feu de joie). Across the Atlantic Ocean, ambassadors John Adams and Benjamin Franklin held a dinner for their fellow Americans in Paris, France.[20]
* In 1779, July 4 fell on a Sunday. The holiday was celebrated on Monday, July 5.[20]
* In 1781, the Massachusetts General Court became the first state legislature to recognize July 4 as a state celebration.[20][21]
* In 1783, Salem, North Carolina, held a celebration with a challenging music program assembled by Johann Friedrich Peter entitled The Psalm of Joy. The town claims it to be the first public July 4 event, as it was carefully documented by the Moravian Church, and there are no government records of any earlier celebrations.[22]
* In 1870, the U.S. Congress made Independence Day an unpaid holiday for federal employees.[23]
* In 1938, Congress changed Independence Day to a paid federal holiday.[24]

## Customs

[edit]

An 1825 invitation to an Independence Day celebration A 2014 Independence Day parade in Washington, D.C., the national capital

Independence Day is a national holiday marked by patriotic displays. Per 5 U.S.C. § 6103, Independence Day is a federal holiday, so all non-essential federal institutions (such as the postal service and federal courts) are closed on that day. While the legal holiday remains on July 4, if that date happens to be on a Saturday or Sunday, then federal government employees will instead take the day off on the adjacent Friday or Monday, respectively.[25] Other non-essential that are non-government related may also be closed that day.[26]

Families often celebrate Independence Day by hosting or attending a picnic or barbecue;[27] many take advantage of the day off and, in some years, a long weekend to gather with family members or friends. Parades are often attended in many towns and cities, some being hours-long, with many floats and participants. Parades are often held in the mid-late morning (before get-togethers), with longer spectacles sometimes extending into the early afternoon. Fireworks displays typically occur in the evening, at such places as parks, harbors, off of boats, sporting venues, fairgrounds, public shorelines, or town squares.[citation needed] Decorations (e.g., streamers, balloons, and clothing) are generally colored red, white, and blue, the colors of the American flag, and many homes and businesses will decorate their properties with miniature American flags.

The night before the Fourth was once the focal point of celebrations, marked by raucous gatherings, often incorporating bonfires as their highlight. In New England, towns competed to build towering pyramids, assembled from barrels and casks. They were lit at nightfall to usher in the celebration. The highest ever were in Salem, Massachusetts, with pyramids composed of as many as forty tiers of barrels. These made some of the tallest bonfires ever recorded. The custom flourished in the 19th and 20th centuries and is still practiced in some New England and northeastern towns.[28]

Independence Day fireworks are often accompanied by patriotic songs,[29] such as "The Star-Spangled Banner" (the American national anthem); "Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean"; "God Bless America"; "America the Beautiful"; "My Country, 'Tis of Thee"; "This Land Is Your Land"; "Stars and Stripes Forever"; "Yankee Doodle"; "God Bless the U.S.A." and "Dixie" (in southern states); "Lift Every Voice and Sing"; and occasionally (but has nominally fallen out of favor), "Hail Columbia". Some of the lyrics recall images of the Revolutionary War or the War of 1812.[citation needed]

Firework shows are held in many states,[30] and many fireworks are sold for personal use or as an alternative to a public show. Safety concerns have led some states to ban fireworks or limit the sizes and types allowed. In addition, local and regional conditions may dictate whether the sale or use of fireworks in an area will be allowed; for example, the global supply chain crisis following the COVID-19 pandemic forced cancellations of shows.[31] Some local or regional firework sales are limited or prohibited because of dry weather or other specific concerns.[32] On these occasions the public may be prohibited from purchasing or discharging fireworks, but professional displays (such as those at sports events) may still take place.[citation needed]

A salute of one gun for each state in the United States, called a "salute to the union", is fired on Independence Day at noon by any capable military base.[33]

New York City has the largest fireworks display in the country sponsored by Macy's, with more than 22 tons of pyrotechnics exploded in 2009.[34] It generally holds displays in the East River. Other major displays are in Seattle on Lake Union; in San Diego over Mission Bay; in Boston on the Charles River; in Philadelphia over the Philadelphia Museum of Art; in San Francisco over the San Francisco Bay; and on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.[35]

During the annual Windsor–Detroit International Freedom Festival, Detroit, Michigan, hosts one of the largest fireworks displays in North America, over the Detroit River, to celebrate Independence Day in conjunction with Windsor, Ontario's celebration of Canada Day.[36]

The first week of July is typically one of the busiest United States travel periods of the year, as many people use what is often a three-day holiday weekend for extended vacation trips.[37]

## Celebration gallery

[edit]

* Patriotic trailer shown in theaters celebrating July 4, 1940

* Fireworks over the National Mall in Washington, D.C., every July 4 are preceded by a concert known as A Capitol Fourth, which takes place outside the U.S. Capitol and is televised on the American public television network PBS.

* In addition to a fireworks show, Miami, Florida, lights one of its tallest buildings with the patriotic red, white and blue color scheme on Independence Day.

* New York City's fireworks display, shown above over the East Village, is sponsored by Macy's and is the largest[34] in the country.

* Towns of all sizes hold celebrations. Shown here is a fireworks display in America's most eastern town, Lubec, Maine, population 1,300. Canada is across the channel to the right.

* A festively decorated Independence Day cake

* Fireworks in Narberth, Pennsylvania.

* Neighborhood parade in Denver, Colorado, 2009

* 4th of July Parade in Chico, California, 2024

## Notable celebrations

[edit]

Originally called "Yankee Doodle", this is one of several versions of a scene painted by A. M. Willard that came to be known as The Spirit of '76. Often imitated or parodied, it is a familiar symbol of American patriotism. The 2019 Independence Day parade in Washington, D.C.

* Held since 1785, the Bristol Fourth of July Parade in Bristol, Rhode Island, is the oldest continuous Independence Day celebration in the United States.[38]
* Since 1868, Seward, Nebraska, has held a celebration on the same town square. In 1979 Seward was designated "America's Official Fourth of July City-Small Town USA" by resolution of Congress. Seward has also been proclaimed "Nebraska's Official Fourth of July City" by Governor J. James Exon in proclamation. Seward is a town of 6,000 but swells to 40,000+ during the July 4 celebrations.[39]
* Since 1912, the Rebild Society, a Danish-American friendship organization, has held a July 4 weekend festival that serves as a homecoming for Danish-Americans in the Rebild Hills of Denmark.[40]
* Since 1959, the International Freedom Festival is jointly held in Detroit, Michigan, and Windsor, Ontario, during the last week of June each year as a mutual celebration of Independence Day and Canada Day (July 1). It culminates in a large fireworks display over the Detroit River.
* Since 1976, the famous Macy's 4th of July Fireworks display has been held annually in New York City, usually over the East River or Hudson River. Macy's did not host the event in 1986, as that year's fireworks show was held as part of Liberty Weekend, marking the restoration and centenary of the Statue of Liberty.[41][42] The fireworks display has been televised nationwide on NBC, and locally on WNBC-TV since 2000.[43]
* The Boston Pops Orchestra has hosted a music and fireworks show over the Charles River Esplanade called the "Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular" annually since 1974.[44] Cannons are traditionally fired during the 1812 Overture.[2] The event was broadcast nationally from 1991 until 2002 on A&E, and since 2002 by CBS and its Boston station WBZ-TV. WBZ/1030 and WBZ-TV broadcast the entire event locally, and from 2002 through 2012, CBS broadcast the final hour of the concert nationally in primetime. The national broadcast was put on hiatus beginning in 2013, which Pops executive producer David G. Mugar believed was the result of decreasing viewership caused by NBC's encore presentation of the Macy's fireworks.[45][46] The national broadcast was revived for 2016, and expanded to two hours.[47] In 2017, Bloomberg Television took over coverage duty, with WHDH carrying local coverage beginning in 2018.[48]
* On the Capitol lawn in Washington, D.C., A Capitol Fourth, a free concert broadcast live by PBS, NPR and the American Forces Network, precedes the fireworks and attracts over half a million people annually.[49]

## Other countries

[edit]

The 4th of July in Manila, Philippines, c. 1905

The Philippines celebrates July 4 as its Republic Day to commemorate the day in 1946 when it ceased to be a U.S. territory and the United States officially recognized Philippine Independence.[50] July 4 was intentionally chosen by the United States because it corresponds to its Independence Day, and this day was observed in the Philippines as Independence Day until 1962. In 1964, the name of the July 4 holiday was changed to Republic Day.

Rebild National Park in Denmark is said to hold the largest July 4 celebrations outside of the United States.[51]

While not an Independence Day celebration by any means, the city of Trois-Rivières, Quebec, Canada celebrates its founding every July 4, having been founded on July 4, 1634.[52] Trois-Rivières was also the site of the final battle of the American Revolutionary War that was fought on Quebec soil in June 1776,[53] the Battle of Trois-Rivières, which was also a part of the Continental Army's failed American Invasion of Quebec. Following a defeat at the hands of the British, the Continental Army retreated to Fort Saint-Jean in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, and then to Fort Ticonderoga in Ticonderoga, New York, before permanently ceasing their invasion of Quebec in July 1776.[54]

In the English city of Gloucester, its cathedral rang bells in 2019 and 2020 for the anthem "The Star-Spangled Banner" every July 4 for its links to the anthem, commemorating its status as the birthplace of John Stafford Smith, who composed the tune on which the anthem is based.[55][56]

## See also

[edit]

* Holidays portal
* United States portal

* Federal holidays in the United States
* Juneteenth
* List of occasions known by their dates
* Born on the Fourth of July (film)

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ "Federal law (5 U.S.C. 6103) establishes the public holidays . . . for Federal employees. Please note that most Federal employees work on a Monday through Friday schedule. For these employees, when a holiday falls on a nonworkday – Saturday or Sunday --the holiday usually is observed on Monday (if the holiday falls on Sunday) or Friday (if the holiday falls on Saturday)." "Federal Holidays". U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Retrieved January 15, 2022.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "What is Independence Day in USA?". Tech Notes. July 2, 2015. Archived from the original on June 22, 2019. Retrieved July 2, 2015.
2. ^ a b Hernández, Javier C. (July 3, 2022). "Amid Ukraine War, Orchestras Rethink '1812 Overture,' a July 4 Rite – Some ensembles have decided not to perform Tchaikovsky's overture, written as commemoration of Russia's defeat of Napoleon's army". The New York Times. Archived from the original on July 4, 2022. Retrieved July 4, 2022.
3. ^ "National Days of Countries". Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. New Zealand. Archived from the original on September 4, 2011. Retrieved June 28, 2009.
4. ^ Central Intelligence Agency. "National Holiday". The World Factbook. Archived from the original on May 13, 2009. Retrieved June 28, 2009.
5. ^ "National Holiday of Member States". United Nations. Archived from the original on July 2, 2012. Retrieved June 28, 2009.
6. ^ Becker, p. 3.
7. ^ Staff writer (July 1, 1917). "How Declaration of Independence was Drafted" (PDF). The New York Times. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 4, 2020. Retrieved November 20, 2009. "On the following day, when the formal vote of Congress was taken, the resolutions were approved by twelve Colonies–all except New York. The original Colonies, therefore, became the United States of America on July 2, 1776."
8. ^ "Visit the Declaration House", National Park Service official website
9. ^ "Letter from John Adams to Abigail Adams, 3 July 1776, 'Had a Declaration...'". Adams Family Papers. Massachusetts Historical Society. Archived from the original on August 6, 2011. Retrieved June 28, 2009.
10. ^ Maier, Pauline (August 7, 1997). "Making Sense of the Fourth of July". American Heritage. Archived from the original on September 3, 2019. Retrieved June 28, 2009.
11. ^ Burnett, Edward Cody (1941). The Continental Congress. New York: W.W. Norton. pp. 191–96\. ISBN 978-1104991852. `{{cite book}}`: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)
12. ^ Warren, Charles (July 1945). "Fourth of July Myths". William and Mary Quarterly. 3d. 2 (3): 238–272\. doi:10.2307/1921451. JSTOR 1921451.
13. ^ "Top 5 Myths About the Fourth of July!". History News Network. George Mason University. June 30, 2001. Archived from the original on July 3, 2009. Retrieved June 28, 2009.
14. ^ Becker, pp. 184–85.
15. ^ For the minority scholarly argument that the Declaration was signed on July 4, see Wilfred J. Ritz, "The Authentication of the Engrossed Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776" Archived August 18, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, Law and History Review 4, no. 1 (Spring 1986): 179–204.
16. ^ Meacham, Jon (2012). Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power. Random House LLC. p. 496. ISBN 978-0679645368.
17. ^ "James Monroe – U.S. Presidents". History.com. Archived from the original on March 23, 2018. Retrieved July 4, 2018.
18. ^ Klein, Christopher (July 1, 2015). "8 Famous Figures Born on the Fourth of July". History.com. Archived from the original on July 4, 2018. Retrieved July 4, 2018.
19. ^ Heintze, "The First Celebrations".
20. ^ a b c Heintze, "A Chronology of Notable Fourth of July Celebration Occurrences".
21. ^ Eiland, Murray (2019). "Heraldry on American Patriotic Postcards". The Armiger's News. 41 (1): 1–3 – via academia.edu.
22. ^ Graff, Michael (November 2012). "Time Stands Still in Old Salem". Our State. Archived from the original on October 4, 2015. Retrieved July 4, 2018.
23. ^ Heintze, "How the Fourth of July was Designated as an 'Official' Holiday".
24. ^ Heintze, "Federal Legislation Establishing the Fourth of July Holiday".
25. ^ "Federal Holidays". www.opm.gov. U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Archived from the original on November 10, 2021. Retrieved November 13, 2021.
26. ^ Hauari, Gabe. "What's open and closed on July 4th? Details on stores, restaurants, Walmart, Costco, Target, more". USA TODAY. Retrieved July 4, 2024.
27. ^ "Fourth of July no picnic for the nation's environment". Oak Ridge National Laboratory. July 3, 2003. Retrieved July 4, 2022. "July 4 is by far the most popular day of the year for cookouts, according to a Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association survey that found that 76 percent of the nation's grill owners use at least one of their grills that day."
28. ^ "The Night Before the Fourth". The Atlantic. July 1, 2011. Archived from the original on October 25, 2011. Retrieved November 4, 2011.
29. ^ Newell, Shane (July 2, 2018). "Here's how they pick music for a good Fourth of July fireworks show". The Press-Enterprise. Retrieved July 4, 2022. "Jim Souza, president of the Rialto-based Pyro Spectaculars by Souza, said ... 'Everybody wants patriotic music.'"[permanent dead link]
30. ^ Gore, Leada (July 3, 2022). "July 4th: Holiday history, more; Why do we celebrate Independence Day with fireworks?". AL.com. Retrieved July 4, 2022.
31. ^ Hall, Andy (July 1, 2022). "Which US cities have canceled July 4th fireworks due to fire concerns?". El País. Retrieved July 4, 2022.
32. ^ Bryant, Kelly (May 19, 2021). "These Are the States Where Fireworks Are Legal". Reader's Digest.
33. ^ "Origin of the 21-Gun Salute". U.S. Army Center of Military History. October 3, 2003. Archived from the original on June 19, 2014. Retrieved July 4, 2014.
34. ^ a b Biggest fireworks show in U.S. lights up sky Archived July 1, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, USA Today, July 2009.
35. ^ Nelson, Samanta (July 1, 2016). "10 of the nation's Best 4th of July Firework Shows". USA Today. Archived from the original on July 3, 2018. Retrieved July 3, 2018.
36. ^ Newman, Stacy. "Freedom Festival". Encyclopedia of Detroit. Detroit Historical Society. Archived from the original on July 3, 2018. Retrieved July 3, 2018.
37. ^ "AAA Chicago Projects Increase in Fourth of July Holiday Travelers" Archived October 9, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, PR Newswire, June 23, 2010
38. ^ "Founder of America's Oldest Fourth of July Celebration". First Congregational Church. Archived from the original on March 23, 2014. Retrieved March 23, 2014.
39. ^ "History of Seward Nebraska 4th of July". Archived from the original on July 13, 2011.
40. ^ "History". Rebild Society. Rebild National Park Society. Archived from the original on July 1, 2009. Retrieved June 30, 2009.
41. ^ Ahern, Jack (May 3, 2024). "Macy's 4th of July Fireworks Will Be Firing From the Hudson River This Year". Our Town. Retrieved March 3, 2025.
42. ^ Chorun, Julia (July 3, 2023). "The History of Macy's 4th of July Fireworks and Where to Watch". Untapped New York. Retrieved March 3, 2025.
43. ^ Huff, Richard (March 29, 2000). "NBC snags fireworks from Ch. 11". New York Daily News. Retrieved March 3, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
44. ^ "Welcome to Boston's 4th of July Celebration". Boston 4 Celebrations Foundation. 2009. Archived from the original on August 22, 2008. Retrieved July 4, 2009.
45. ^ James H. Burnett III. Boston gets a nonreality show: CBS broadcasts impossible views of 4th fireworks Archived April 13, 2012, at the Wayback Machine. Boston Globe, July 8, 2011
46. ^ Powers, Martine; Moskowitz, Eric (June 15, 2013). "July 4 fireworks gala loses its national pop". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on June 19, 2013. Retrieved June 16, 2013.
47. ^ "With CBS on board again, Keith Lockhart is ready to take over prime time". Boston Herald. July 2016. Archived from the original on July 2, 2016. Retrieved July 2, 2016.
48. ^ "7News partners with Bloomberg TV to air 2018 Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular". WHDH. June 21, 2018. Archived from the original on June 22, 2018. Retrieved June 22, 2018.
49. ^ A Capitol Fourth – The Concert , PBS, accessed July 12, 2013
50. ^ Philippine Republic Day, Official Gazette (Philippines), archived from the original on July 29, 2021, retrieved July 5, 2012
51. ^ Lindsey Galloway (July 3, 2012). "Celebrate American independence in Denmark". Archived from the original on November 15, 2014.
52. ^ ICI.Radio-Canada.ca, Zone Aucun thème sélectionné- (July 4, 2009). "Bonne fête Trois-Rivières!". Radio-Canada (in Canadian French). Retrieved April 20, 2024.
53. ^ "The Battle of Three Rivers (Trois-Rivières)". American Revolutionary War. Retrieved April 20, 2024.
54. ^ Troy, Michael. "Episode 095: Battle of Trois-Rivières (Three Rivers)". Retrieved April 20, 2024.
55. ^ "Liberty Bells: Gloucester Cathedral Chimes 'Star-Spangled Banner' on July 4th for American NATO Troops". NATO ARRC. Retrieved November 3, 2024.
56. ^ Stilliard, Ed (July 1, 2019). "Oh say, can't you hear? How Gloucester will mark American Independence Day on July 4". Gloucestershire Live. Retrieved November 3, 2024.

## Further reading

[edit]

* Becker, Carl L. (1922). The Declaration of Independence: A Study in the History of Political Ideas. New York: Harcourt, Brace. OCLC 60738220. Retrieved July 4, 2020. Republished: The Declaration of Independence: A Study in the History of Political Ideas. New York: Vintage Books. 1958. ISBN 9780394700601. OCLC 2234953. `{{cite book}}`: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)
* Criblez, Adam (2013). Parading Patriotism: Independence Day Celebrations in the Urban Midwest, 1826–1876. DeKalb, IL, US: Northern Illinois University Press. ISBN 9780875806921. OCLC 1127286749.
* Heintze, James R. "Fourth of July Celebrations Database". American University of Washington, D.C. Archived from the original on August 15, 2000. Retrieved February 10, 2015.
* Schauffler, R. H. (1912), Independence Day: its celebration, spirit and significance as related in prose and verse, New York: Moffat, Yard and Company

## External links

[edit]

Independence Day (United States) at Wikipedia's sister projects

* Definitions from Wiktionary
* Media from Commons
* Quotations from Wikiquote
* Data from Wikidata

* Fourth of July Is Independence Day USA.gov, July 4, 2014
* U.S. Independence Day a Civic and Social Event U.S. State Department, June 22, 2010
* Fourth of July Orations Collection at the Division of Special Collections, Archives, and Rare Books, Ellis Library, University of Missouri

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Related|

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* Arbor Day
* Birthday of José de Diego (PR)
* Confederate Memorial Day (AL, MS)
* Days of Remembrance of the Victims of the Holocaust (week)
* DNA Day
* Earth Day
* Emancipation Day (cultural)
* Thomas Jefferson's Birthday (AL)
* Lag B’Omer (religious)
* Last Friday of Great Lent (religious)
* Pascua Florida (FL)
* Patriots' Day (MA, ME)
* Ridván (religious)
* San Jacinto Day (TX)
* Siblings Day
* Walpurgis Night (religious)
* Yom Ha'atzmaut (cultural, religious)

May
Asian American and
Pacific Islander Heritage Month
Jewish American Heritage Month
Military Appreciation Month

* Memorial Day (federal)
* Mother's Day (36)
* Cinco de Mayo

* Ascension of Baháʼu'lláh (religious)
* Ascension of Our Lord (religious)
* Caliphate Day (religious)
* Declaration of the Bab (religious)
* Harvey Milk Day (CA)
* International Workers' Day / May Day (CA, unofficial, proposed state)
* Law Day (36)
* Loyalty Day (36)
* Malcolm X Day (CA, IL, proposed federal)
* Military Spouse Day
* National Day of Prayer (36)
* National Day of Reason
* National Defense Transportation Day (36)
* National Maritime Day (36)
* Peace Officers Memorial Day (36)
* Pentecost (religious)
* Shavuot (religious)
* Truman Day (MO)
* Vesak / Buddha's Birthday (religious)

June
Pride Month|

* Juneteenth (federal, cultural)
* Father's Day (36)

* Bunker Hill Day (Suffolk County, MA)
* Carolina Day (SC)
* Don Young Day (AK)
* Fast of the Holy Apostles (religious)
* Flag Day (36, proposed federal)
* Helen Keller Day (PA)
* Honor America Days (3 weeks)
* Jefferson Davis Day (AL, FL)
* Kamehameha Day (HI)
* Litha (religious)
* Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev Sahib (religious)
* Odunde Festival (Philadelphia, PA, cultural)
* Senior Week (week)
* Saint John's Day (PR, religious)
* West Virginia Day (WV)

July|

* Independence Day (federal)

* Asalha Puja Day (religious)
* Birthday of Don Luis Muñoz Rivera (PR)
* Birthday of Dr. José Celso Barbosa (PR)
* Emancipation Day in the U.S. Virgin Islands (VI, cultural)
* Guru Purnima (religious)
* Khordad Sal (religious)
* Lā Hoʻihoʻi Ea (HI, unofficial, cultural)
* Martyrdom of the Báb (religious)
* Parents' Day (36)
* Pioneer Day (UT)
* Puerto Rico Constitution Day (PR)

July–August|

* Summer vacation
* Tisha B'Av (religious)

August|

* American Family Day (AZ)
* Barack Obama Day in Illinois (IL)
* Bennington Battle Day (VT)
* Dormition of the Theotokos (religious)
* Eid-e-Ghadeer (religious)
* Fast in Honor of the Holy Mother of Lord Jesus (religious)
* Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (religious)
* Hawaii Admission Day / Statehood Day (HI)
* Krishna Janmashtami (religious)
* Lammas (religious)
* Lyndon Baines Johnson Day (TX)
* Naga Panchami (religious)
* National Aviation Day (36)
* Paryushana (religious)
* Raksha Bandhan (religious)
* Transfiguration of the Lord (religious)
* Victory Day (RI)
* Women's Equality Day (36)

September
Prostate Cancer Awareness Month
Childhood Cancer Awareness Month
Gospel Music Heritage Month|

* Labor Day (federal)

* Brazilian Day (NY, cultural)
* California Admission Day (CA)
* Carl Garner Federal Lands Cleanup Day (36)
* Constitution Day and Citizenship Day (36)
* Constitution Week
* Defenders Day (MD)
* Elevation of the Holy Cross (religious)
* Feast of San Gennaro (NY, cultural, religious)
* Ganesh Chaturthi (religious)
* Gold Star Mother's Day (36)
* His Holiness Sakya Trizin's Birthday (religious)
* Mabon (religious)
* National Grandparents Day (36)
* National Payroll Week (week)
* Nativity of Mary / Nativity of the Theotokos (religious)
* Native American Day (proposed federal)
* Patriot Day (36)
* Von Steuben Day

September–October
Hispanic Heritage Month|

* Chehlum Imam Hussain (religious)
* Oktoberfest
* Pitri Paksha (religious)
* Rosh Hashanah / Feast of Trumpets (TX, NY, religious)
* Shemini Atzeret (religious)
* Simchat Torah (religious)
* Vijaya Dashami (religious)
* Yom Kippur / Day of Atonement (TX, NY, religious)

October
Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Disability Employment Awareness Month
Italian-American Heritage and Culture Month
Filipino American History Month
LGBT History Month|

* Columbus Day (federal)
* Halloween

* Alaska Day (AK)
* Child Health Day (36)
* General Pulaski Memorial Day
* German-American Day
* Indigenous Peoples' Day
* International Day of Non-Violence
* Leif Erikson Day (36)
* Missouri Day (MO)
* Nanomonestotse (cultural)
* National School Lunch Week (week)
* Native American Day in South Dakota (SD)
* Nevada Day (NV)
* Spirit Day (cultural)
* Sweetest Day
* Sukkot / Feast of Tabernacles (religious, week)
* Virgin Islands–Puerto Rico Friendship Day (PR, VI)
* White Cane Safety Day (36)

October–November|

* Birth of the Báb (religious)
* Birth of Baháʼu'lláh (religious)
* Day of the Dead (VI)
* Diwali (NY, religious)
* Mawlid al-Nabi (religious)

November
Native American Indian Heritage Month|

* Veterans Day (federal)
* Thanksgiving (federal)

* Ascension of ‘Abdu’l Baha (religious)
* All Saints' Day (religious)
* Beginning of the Nativity Fast (religious)
* Beltane / Samhain (religious)
* Barack Obama Day in Alabama (Perry County, AL)
* D. Hamilton Jackson Day (VI)
* Day after Thanksgiving (24)
* Day of the Covenant (religious)
* Discovery of Puerto Rico Day (PR)
* Election Day (CA, DE, HI, KY, MT, NJ, NY, OH, PR, VA, WV, proposed federal)
* Family Day (NV)
* Friendsgiving
* Guru Nanak Gurpurab (religious)
* Hanukkah (religious)
* Lā Kūʻokoʻa (HI, unofficial, cultural)
* Martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur (religious)
* Native American Heritage Day (MD, WA, cultural)
* Presentation of the Theotokos to the Temple (religious)
* Trans Day of Remembrance (cultural)
* Unthanksgiving Day (cultural)

December|

* Christmas (religious, federal)
* New Year's Eve

* Advent Sunday (religious)
* Alabama Day (AL)
* Birthday of Guru Gobind Singh Sahib (religious)
* Bodhi Day (religious)
* Chalica (religious)
* Christmas Eve (KY, NC, SC, PR, VI)
* Day after Christmas (KY, NC, SC, TX, VI)
* Festivus
* HumanLight
* Hanukkah (religious, week)
* Immaculate Conception (religious)
* Indiana Day (IN)
* Kwanzaa (cultural, week)
* Milad Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin (religious)
* National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day (36)
* Nativity of Jesus (religious)
* Old Year's Night (VI)
* Pan American Aviation Day (36)
* Pancha Ganapati (religious, week)
* Rosa Parks Day (OH, OR)
* Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God (religious)
* Wright Brothers Day (36)
* Yule (religious)
* Zartosht No-Diso (religious)

Varies (year round)|

* Eid al-Adha (NY, religious)
* Eid al-Fitr (NY, religious)
* Islamic New Year (religious)
* Yawm al-Arafa (religious)
* Hajj (religious)
* Laylat al-Qadr (religious)
* Navaratri (religious, four times a year)
* Obon (religious)
* Onam (religious)
* Ramadan (religious, month)
* Ghost Festival (religious)
* Yawm Aashura (religious)

Legend:

(federal) = federal holidays, (abbreviation) = state/territorial holidays, (religious) = religious holidays, (cultural) = holiday related to a specific racial/ethnic group or sexual minority, (week) = week-long holidays, (month) = month-long holidays, (36) = Title 36 Observances and Ceremonies

See also: Lists of holidays, Hallmark holidays, Public holidays in the United States, Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands.

* v
* t
* e

United States Declaration of Independence

* Physical history of the Declaration of Independence
* Memorial to the 56 Signers
* Founding Fathers
* Syng inkstand

| Primary author|

* Thomas Jefferson

|

Signatories|

| President of Congress|

* John Hancock (Massachusetts)

|

New Hampshire|

* Josiah Bartlett
* William Whipple
* Matthew Thornton

Massachusetts|

* Samuel Adams
* John Adams
* Robert Treat Paine
* Elbridge Gerry

Rhode Island|

* Stephen Hopkins
* William Ellery

Connecticut|

* Roger Sherman
* Samuel Huntington
* William Williams
* Oliver Wolcott

New York|

* William Floyd
* Philip Livingston
* Francis Lewis
* Lewis Morris

New Jersey|

* Richard Stockton
* John Witherspoon
* Francis Hopkinson
* John Hart
* Abraham Clark

Pennsylvania|

* Robert Morris
* Benjamin Rush
* Benjamin Franklin
* John Morton
* George Clymer
* James Smith
* George Taylor
* James Wilson
* George Ross

Delaware|

* George Read
* Caesar Rodney
* Thomas McKean

Maryland|

* Samuel Chase
* William Paca
* Thomas Stone
* Charles Carroll of Carrollton

Virginia|

* George Wythe
* Richard Henry Lee
* Thomas Jefferson
* Benjamin Harrison
* Thomas Nelson Jr.
* Francis Lightfoot Lee
* Carter Braxton

North Carolina|

* William Hooper
* Joseph Hewes
* John Penn

South Carolina|

* Edward Rutledge
* Thomas Heyward Jr.
* Thomas Lynch Jr.
* Arthur Middleton

Georgia|

* Button Gwinett
* Lyman Hall
* George Walton

Delegates voting
for Independence
(did not sign)|

New York: Robert R. Livingston, Henry Wisner
Maryland: John Rogers, Matthew Tilghman

Related|

* Halifax Resolves
* Virginia Declaration of Rights
* Second Continental Congress
* Lee Resolution
* Committee of Five
* "All men are created equal"
* "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness"
* "Consent of the governed"
* 27 grievances
* Document's history
* signing
* Charles Thomson
* Timothy Matlack
* Journals of the Continental Congress
* United Colonies
* Independence Hall
* Syng inkstand
* American Revolution

Display
and legacy|

* National Archives
* Rotunda for the Charters of Freedom
* Independence Day
* Anniversaries
* Centennial
* Sesquicentennial
* Bicentennial
* Semiquincentennial
* Memorial to the 56 Signers of the Declaration of Independence (Washington, D.C.)
* Signers Monument (Georgia)
* Pine portrait
* Trumbull portrait
* Statue of Liberty

* v
* t
* e

American Revolutionary War

Origins of the American Revolution

| Philosophy|

* American Enlightenment
* John Locke
* Colonial history
* Liberalism
* Republicanism
* Freedom of religion
* Rights of Englishmen
* No taxation without representation
* Common Sense
* Spirit of '76
* "All men are created equal"
* "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness"
* "Consent of the governed"
* Expansionism
* Settler colonialism

|

Royalists|

* Pitt–Newcastle ministry
* Bute ministry
* Grenville ministry
* First Rockingham ministry
* Chatham ministry
* Grafton ministry
* North ministry
* Second Rockingham ministry
* Shelburne ministry
* Fox–North coalition
* Loyalists
* Black Loyalist

Related British
acts of Parliament

* Navigation
* Iron
* Molasses
* Royal Proclamation of 1763
* Sugar
* Currency
* Quartering
* Stamp up i.p.o
* Declaratory
* Townshend
* Tea
* Quebec
* Intolerable
* Conciliatory Resolution
* Restraining
* Proclamation of Rebellion
* Prohibitory

Colonials|

* Loyal Nine
* Stamp Act Congress
* Declaration of Rights and Grievances
* Virginia Association
* Daughters of Liberty
* Sons of Liberty
* Patriots
* Black Patriots
* Committees of correspondence
* Committees of safety
* Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania
* Massachusetts Circular Letter
* Suffolk Resolves
* Continental Congress
* First Continental Congress
* Continental Association
* Minutemen
* Provincial Congress
* Second Continental Congress
* United Colonies
* Olive Branch Petition
* Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking Up Arms
* Committee of Secret Correspondence
* Halifax Resolves
* Lee Resolution
* Declaration of Independence
* Model Treaty
* Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union
* Confederation Congress

Events|

* French and Indian War
* Treaty of Paris (1763)
* Boston Massacre
* British credit crisis of 1772–1773
* Gaspee affair
* Hutchinson letters affair
* Boston Tea Party
* Philadelphia Tea Party
* Powder Alarm

* Combatants
* Campaigns
* Theaters
* Battles
* Events
* Colonies

| Combatants|

| United Colonies/Thirteen Colonies|

* Continental Congress
* Army
* Navy
* Marines

|

Kingdom of Great Britain|

* Parliament
* British Army
* Royal Navy
* European allies of King George III

Colonial allies|

* France
* Franco-American Treaty
* Army
* Navy
* Hortalez et Cie
* German supporters of Congress

Campaigns and
theaters

* Boston
* Quebec
* Nova Scotia
* New York and New Jersey
* Saratoga
* Philadelphia
* Northern
* Northern after Saratoga
* Southern
* Western
* Yorktown
* Naval battles

Major battles|

* Lexington and Concord
* Boston
* Capture of Fort Ticonderoga
* Bunker Hill
* Quebec
* Valcour Island
* Long Island
* Harlem Heights
* Fort Washington
* Trenton
* Assunpink Creek
* Princeton
* Siege of Fort Ticonderoga
* Bennington
* Saratoga
* Oriskany
* Brandywine
* Germantown
* Monmouth
* St. Lucia
* Grenada
* Stony Point
* Sullivan Expedition
* Savannah
* Gibraltar
* Cape St. Vincent
* Charleston
* Connecticut Farms
* Springfield
* Camden
* Kings Mountain
* Cowpens
* Pensacola
* Guilford Court House
* Lochry's Defeat
* Chesapeake
* Yorktown
* The Saintes

Other events|

* Staten Island Peace Conference
* "First Salute"
* Washington's crossing of the Delaware River
* Conway Cabal
* Valley Forge
* Entry of France into war
* Carlisle Peace Commission
* Gordon Riots
* Pennsylvania Mutiny of 1781
* Sint Eustatius
* Newburgh Conspiracy
* Pennsylvania Mutiny of 1783

Related conflicts|

* Cherokee–American wars
* Fourth Anglo-Dutch War
* Second Anglo-Mysore War

Involvement (by
colony or location)

| Rebel colonies|

* Connecticut
* Delaware
* Georgia
* Maryland
* Massachusetts
* New Hampshire
* New Jersey
* New York
* North Carolina
* Pennsylvania
* Rhode Island
* South Carolina
* Virginia

|

Loyal colonies|

* East Florida
* Nova Scotia
* Quebec
* West Florida

Leaders

| British|

| Military|

* Arbuthnot
* Brant
* Burgoyne
* Campbell
* Carleton
* Clinton
* Cornwallis
* Fraser
* Gage
* Graves
* Richard Howe
* William Howe
* Knyphausen
* Rodney

|

Civilian|

* King George III
* Amherst
* Barrington
* Germain
* North
* Rockingham
* Sandwich
* Shelburne

Colonial|

| Military|

* Washington
* Alexander
* Allen
* Arnold
* Barry
* Claghorn
* Clark
* Duportail
* Gates
* Greene
* Hamilton
* Hopkins
* Jones
* de Kalb
* Knox
* Lafayette
* Charles Lee
* Lincoln
* Mercer
* Montgomery
* Nicholson
* Putnam
* Rodney
* St. Clair
* Schuyler
* von Steuben
* Sullivan
* Ward
* Wayne

|

Civilian|

* John Adams
* Samuel Adams
* Carroll
* Dickinson
* Franklin
* Hancock
* Hanson
* Henry
* Huntington
* Jay
* Jefferson
* Laurens
* Richard Henry Lee
* McKean
* Morris
* Revere
* Rush
* Witherspoon

Colonial allies|

| French|

* Louis XVI
* Beaumarchais
* d'Estaing
* de Grasse
* de Guichen
* Luzerne
* de Rochambeau
* Suffren
* Vergennes

|

Aftermath

* Society of the Cincinnati
* Treaty of Paris (1783)
* Evacuation Day (1783)
* Ratification Day (1784)
* Constitutional Convention
* The Federalist Papers
* Constitution
* Bill of Rights
* Shays's Rebellion
* Jay Treaty

* Related topics

| Military|

* Prisoners
* The Turtle

|

Political|

* Founding Fathers
* Diplomacy
* Liberty Tree
* Yankee Doodle

Other topics|

* Timeline of the American Revolution
* African Americans in the Revolutionary War
* Dogs in the American Revolutionary War
* Intelligence in the American Revolutionary War
* Women in the American Revolution
* Financial costs of the war
* Continental currency banknotes
* Continental Currency dollar coin
* Libertas Americana
* Commemoration
* films
* television
* theater
* Independence Day
* Patriots' Day
* Pulaski Memorial Day
* Washington's Birthday
* Jefferson's Birthday
* Von Steuben Day
* Minor holidays
* Centennial
* Sesquicentennial
* Bicentennial
* Semiquincentennial
* Children of the American Revolution
* Daughters of the American Revolution
* Sons of the American Revolution
* Sons of the Revolution
* Washington D.C. statuary
* Charters of Freedom Rotunda
* Museum of the American Revolution

Authority control databases

National|

* United States
* Israel

Other|

* NARA

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