July 4th: Independence, Invention, and Iconic Moments in History

July 4th is a day deeply embedded in the fabric of world history, especially in the United States, where it marks the birth of a nation. But beyond fireworks and parades, July 4th has been witness to groundbreaking inventions, cultural milestones, and historical turning points that have shaped not just one country, but the entire world.

📅 July 4th in the Calendar

In the Gregorian calendar, July 4th is the 185th day of the year (186th in leap years), leaving 180 days remaining. It falls in the heart of summer in the Northern Hemisphere and is most famously associated with the celebration of Independence Day in the United States.

🎆 1776 – The Declaration of Independence is Adopted

The most famous event associated with July 4th is the adoption of the Declaration of Independence by the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1776.

Drafted by Thomas Jefferson and revised by figures such as John Adams and Benjamin Franklin, the document formally severed the American colonies’ ties to Great Britain, declaring the thirteen colonies as free and independent states.

📜 Key Points of the Declaration:

All men are created equal.
Governments derive their power from the consent of the governed.
People have the right to alter or abolish oppressive governments.

While the actual vote for independence occurred on July 2nd, it was on July 4th that the text of the Declaration was officially approved and sent for printing. This is why Americans celebrate Independence Day on July 4th, not the 2nd.

🎇 How the U.S. Celebrates:

Fireworks displays are held across cities and towns.
Parades featuring marching bands, floats, and veterans.
Patriotic concerts and performances.
Barbecues and picnics with family and friends.

It is a day not only of celebration but of reflection on the principles of freedom, democracy, and human rights.

🏳️‍🌈 2015 – Same-Sex Marriage Becomes Legal in All 50 U.S. States

Though the ruling came on June 26, 2015, the first Independence Day celebrated after the Obergefell v. Hodges decision marked the first time that same-sex couples across all fifty U.S. states could openly and legally celebrate marriage equality on July 4th.

This added a new layer of meaning to the American celebration of freedom and rights, highlighting the nation’s ongoing journey toward civil rights and inclusion.

⚙️ 1881 – The Tuskegee Institute Opens

On July 4, 1881, Booker T. Washington, a former slave, founded the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama, an educational institution for African Americans.

The Tuskegee Institute became an important centre for:

Vocational training
Teacher education
Agricultural and technical research

Washington emphasised education as a path to economic independence and racial uplift during a time of deep racial segregation in the American South.

🧪 1884 – The Statue of Liberty’s Foundation is Laid

The Statue of Liberty, a gift from France to the United States, had its cornerstone laid on July 4, 1884, in New York Harbour. The statue, designed by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, would become one of the most recognisable symbols of freedom and opportunity worldwide.

The full statue was later dedicated on October 28, 1886. But July 4th marked the moment its foundation was officially begun, linking this symbol forever to the American ideals celebrated on Independence Day.

💡 1802 – The United States Military Academy Opens at West Point

On July 4, 1802, the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, officially opened. Known simply as West Point, it became the premier training ground for military leadership in the U.S., producing famous figures like Ulysses S. Grant, Robert E. Lee, Douglas MacArthur, and Dwight D. Eisenhower.

The academy’s mission has always centered on:

Leadership
Service
Duty and honor

Its July 4th founding highlights the role of military strength in defending the freedoms first claimed in 1776.

🌐 Other Notable July 4th Events:

1803 – The announcement of the Louisiana Purchase, which doubled the size of the U.S., was made public on July 4th.
1817 – The construction of the Erie Canal began in New York State, a vital economic development for the young nation.
1826 – Former U.S. Presidents Thomas Jefferson and John Adams both died on July 4th, on the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. This extraordinary coincidence is often viewed as symbolic of the founding generation’s lasting legacy.
1831 – James Monroe, the 5th President of the United States, also died on July 4th, adding to the significance of the date.
1855 – The first edition of Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass was published, celebrating the American spirit and individuality.
1863 – The Confederate stronghold at Vicksburg surrendered to Union General Ulysses S. Grant, giving the Union control over the Mississippi River—a turning point in the Civil War.

🎂 Famous Birthdays on July 4th:

Calvin Coolidge (1872–1933) – 30th President of the United States, the only U.S. president born on Independence Day.
Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804–1864) – American author known for The Scarlet Letter.
Gina Lollobrigida (1927–2023) – Italian actress and photojournalist.
Neil Simon (1927–2018) – American playwright known for The Odd Couple and Barefoot in the Park.

🕯️ Notable Deaths on July 4th:

Thomas Jefferson (1826) – 3rd U.S. President and principal author of the Declaration of Independence.
John Adams (1826) – 2nd U.S. President and a key figure in the American Revolution.
James Monroe (1831) – 5th U.S. President, known for the Monroe Doctrine.
Marie Curie (1934) – Nobel Prize-winning physicist and chemist, known for her work on radioactivity.

🌟 Did You Know?

The Liberty Bell, one of America’s most enduring symbols of freedom, was rung (according to legend) on July 8, 1776, to celebrate the Declaration—but it is forever associated with July 4th.
Approximately 150 million hot dogs are consumed in the U.S. on July 4th every year!
Some towns in the U.S., such as Bristol, Rhode Island, have held continuous Independence Day parades since the 18th century.

🔁 Keep the Celebration Going with Earth Site’s On This Day Series!

From declarations of independence to cultural landmarks, from tragic losses to new beginnings, July 4th is a day where the past and present collide in meaningful ways. History shows us that freedom, innovation, and resilience are never given—they are built, protected, and celebrated.

👉 Come back tomorrow for July 5th, and discover more remarkable stories from our shared past—only at Earth Site’s On This Day series.
Because every day in history has a story worth telling. 🌎📜🎇

: 1776 In 1776 The American colonies of the United Kingdom declared their Independence.
On the 22^nd of March 1765, Britain began the ‘Stamp Tax’ in America, which taxes any official document, Newspapers and playing cards. The controversial tax was introduced to raise the money towards the 10,000 troops placed on the American frontier to defend and protect the colonies. The Seven Years' War (1756-1763) and ‘The French and Indian War (1754-1763) had only ended and Tensions still ran high between the United Kingdom and France. Other taxes in Britain’s colonies had been introduced by their elected representatives, but this tax had been introduced directly from Britain and not approved by an American legislator. This was seen as an insult to the Americans and many of Britain’s and implied that Americans were subjects with fewer rights than Britain’s at home.

Former Prime Minister William Pitt the Elder gave a speech in Parliament in defence of America and their rights as equal citizens “This Kingdom has no right to lay a tax upon the colonies. They are the subjects of the kingdom equally entitled with yourselves to all the natural rights of mankind and the peculiar privileges of Englishmen. The Americans are the sons not the bastards of England.”

The King also made his opposition to the tax known and it was repealed within a year on the 18th of March 1776. The introduction of the stamp tax is considered to be the start of the political arm of the American Revolution. Although the tax was repealed the damage had been done and the colonists began many more acts of political defiance to resist all taxation they deemed illegal. This included the Tea Act of 1773 which reduced the price of tax added to tea produced by the British East India Company giving them the monopoly over the American Tea trade. The colonists threw the tea into the Boston port, an act of defiance that would become known as the “Boston Tea Party”.

On the 19^th of April 1775, the military arm of the American Revolution began known as the ‘American Revolutionary War’ or the ‘American War of Independence’. The first incident that initiated the war took place on in Lexington when British troops were ordered to travel to Concord and take the Patriots' military stores there. While the British troops headed out on their mission, a Patriot line of communication, made from men on horseback, sent word to Patriot forces of the impending raid. As 700 British troops, under the command of Major Pitcairn, moved through the town green in Lexington, they were met with 77 minutemen (elite mobile infantry of the American militia) under the command of Captain John Parker. Pitcairn ordered the American force to disperse and initially, they obeyed. But just as the confrontation seemed over a single shot was fired which would start the American War of Independence and bring four nations into conflict with Britain. That single shot has been referred to as ‘the shot that was heard across the world’ and as soon as it was fired (both sides blamed the other), the British and American forces opened fire on one another. With the small rebellion subdued the British troops continued to concord to complete their mission. But patriot forces in Concord were even greater and well prepared. They had already removed the stash of military hardware and up to 400 patriot troops met with the British and forced them to retreat back to Boston. The British lost 273 men compared to the patriot’s 95 men killed and this victory to the patriots spurred on many more to join and fight the British.

A Continental Congress was formed and chose a committee to create a Declaration of Independence and on the 4^th of July 1774 the declaration was adopted by 12 colonies of the 13 original colonies of the United States of America. New York, the 13^th colony, would adopt the declaration on the 19^th of July.

The colonists had many victories in decisive battles during the war and with help from their allies they would gain their Independence.

In 1778 France signed a treaty with America and went to war with Britain. They convinced Spain to also go to war and on the 21^st of June 1779 Spain declared war on Britain. Like France, Spain also had a grudge to bear against the United Kingdom both having lost much territory in the Seven Years War.

Spain sent a lot of gold and silver to America, helping finance the colonists and their French Allies, particularly the final campaign (the Yorktown Campaign).

The French Naval and land troops greatly aided the American Victory, particularly in the Yorktown Campaign, where French soldiers outnumbered the American soldiers.

The American War of Independence would continue until 1783 when the 13 original states gained their freedom from Great Britain and would grow to become the most powerful nation in the world, the United States of America.