Why is the 4th of July celebrated in the US? Learn about the history of this festivity that dates back to the 18th century

2022-07-04T05:34:30.624Z

The 4th of July is Independence Day in the United States and there are very strong traditions. Learn how it is celebrated.

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(CNN) --

Across the United States, July 4 is a holiday when red, blue and white adorn cities, fireworks light up the sky, and lawns are lit up by barbecue grills, while in some cities hot dog lovers have their own contest.

This is the history and traditions of the 4th of July in the United States.

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The story of the 4th of July

The 4th of July is Independence Day in the United States.

On that day in 1776, the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence two days after a vote on separation from the United Kingdom.

The Declaration, drafted by Thomas Jefferson (who eventually became president and died on the 4th), is basically America's birth certificate: America was declared an independent nation from British rule on that day.

Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Roger Sherman, and Robert R. Livingston made up the committee that drafted the Declaration.

Jefferson, considered the strongest and most eloquent writer, wrote most of the document.

The committee and Congress as a whole made a total of 86 changes to the Jefferson draft.

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Although these Founding Fathers signed the document in the 1700s, Independence Day did not officially become a holiday until 1870, and became a federally paid holiday in 1941.

They sell a copy of the US Declaration of Independence. 0:55

Some facts from the United States Declaration of Independence

You may know about John Hancock's famous large signature or that Thomas Jefferson authored the document, but here are some facts you may not know about the Declaration.

The Declaration of Independence was not signed on July 4.

Although the 4th of July is the day the United States celebrates independence, that was not the day the document was signed.

The Continental Congress adopted the Declaration that day, but most delegates did not sign the document until August 2, 1776, according to the National Archives.

The New York delegates could not officially give their support until July 9, and Congress did not mandate that the official document be put on parchment until the 19th. Furthermore, July 4 was not the day the founders hoped it would be. remembered as Independence Day.

July 2, the day the Continental Congress voted for independence, was thought to be the day of celebration, which even John Adams noted in his writings, according to the National Archives.

There is more than one copy of the Declaration of Independence

Although most people who see the document see the original on display at the National Archives in Washington, hundreds more were printed.

These copies are known as the "Dunlop pamphlets", after the shop owner who printed them, John Dunlop.

Of the hundreds of prints, only 26 are known to have survived, including two found in the last 26 years.

One was found in 1989 by a Philadelphia man hidden in a picture frame he bought at a flea market for $4 and the other was found in a box of papers at the British National Archives in 2009.

Jefferson and Adams died on the same day, the 4th of July.

Thomas Jefferson and John Adams died on the same day, July 4, 1826, 50 years after the Declaration was adopted, according to the National Archives.

Adams helped Jefferson write the declaration and was also involved in persuading Congress to declare independence.

A mark on the document remains an unsolved mystery

One mystery about the document that has yet to be solved is that a handprint appears in the lower left corner.

Although the origins of the mark are still unclear, its presence does not seem to surprise historians, as the document was rolled up, bagged, and transported on wagons and ships.

"It was terrible," David Ward, senior historian at the National Portrait Gallery, told CNN's Chris Moody.

"They put him in a burlap bag. They rolled him up all the time, which you're not supposed to do. He was exposed to light, he was exposed to smoke."

Of course, the document's protection has been increased significantly, now sealed in a humidity-controlled titanium and aluminum frame.

During World War II, according to the National Archives, he was transported in 150 pounds of protective gear to Fort Knox, where he spent the rest of the war.