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📅 July 4th in the Calendar<\/h2>\n
In the Gregorian calendar<\/strong>, July 4th is the 185th day of the year<\/strong> (186th in leap years), leaving 180 days remaining<\/strong>. It falls in the heart of summer in the Northern Hemisphere<\/strong> and is most famously associated with the celebration of Independence Day<\/strong> in the United States<\/strong>.<\/p>\n The most famous event associated with July 4th<\/strong> is the adoption of the Declaration of Independence<\/strong> by the Second Continental Congress<\/strong> in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania<\/strong> in 1776<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Drafted by Thomas Jefferson<\/strong> and revised by figures such as John Adams<\/strong> and Benjamin Franklin<\/strong>, the document formally severed the American colonies\u2019 ties to Great Britain<\/strong>, declaring the thirteen colonies as free and independent states.<\/p>\n All men are created equal.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Governments derive their power from the consent of the governed.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n People have the right to alter or abolish oppressive governments.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n While the actual vote for independence occurred on July 2nd<\/strong>, it was on July 4th<\/strong> that the text of the Declaration<\/strong> was officially approved and sent for printing. This is why Americans celebrate Independence Day<\/strong> on July 4th, not the 2nd.<\/p>\n Fireworks displays<\/strong> are held across cities and towns.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Parades<\/strong> featuring marching bands, floats, and veterans.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Patriotic concerts<\/strong> and performances.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Barbecues and picnics<\/strong> with family and friends.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n It is a day not only of celebration but of reflection on the principles of freedom, democracy, and human rights<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Though the ruling came on June 26, 2015<\/strong>, the first Independence Day<\/strong> celebrated after the Obergefell v. Hodges<\/strong> decision marked the first time that same-sex couples<\/strong> across all fifty U.S. states could openly and legally celebrate marriage equality<\/strong> on July 4th.<\/p>\n This added a new layer of meaning to the American celebration of freedom and rights, highlighting the nation’s ongoing journey toward civil rights<\/strong> and inclusion<\/strong>.<\/p>\n On July 4, 1881<\/strong>, Booker T. Washington<\/strong>, a former slave, founded the Tuskegee Institute<\/strong> in Alabama<\/strong>, an educational institution for African Americans.<\/p>\n The Tuskegee Institute became an important centre for:<\/p>\n Vocational training<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/li>\n Teacher education<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/li>\n Agricultural and technical research<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n Washington emphasised education as a path to economic independence and racial uplift during a time of deep racial segregation in the American South.<\/p>\n The Statue of Liberty<\/strong>, a gift from France<\/strong> to the United States<\/strong>, had its cornerstone laid on July 4, 1884<\/strong>, in New York Harbour<\/strong>. The statue, designed by Fr\u00e9d\u00e9ric Auguste Bartholdi<\/strong>, would become one of the most recognisable symbols of freedom<\/strong> and opportunity<\/strong> worldwide.<\/p>\n The full statue was later dedicated on October 28, 1886<\/strong>. But July 4th marked the moment its foundation was officially begun, linking this symbol forever to the American ideals celebrated on Independence Day.<\/p>\n On July 4, 1802<\/strong>, the United States Military Academy<\/strong> at West Point, New York<\/strong>, officially opened. Known simply as West Point<\/strong>, it became the premier training ground for military leadership in the U.S., producing famous figures like Ulysses S. Grant<\/strong>, Robert E. Lee<\/strong>, Douglas MacArthur<\/strong>, and Dwight D. Eisenhower<\/strong>.<\/p>\n The academy\u2019s mission has always centered on:<\/p>\n Leadership<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Service<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Duty and honor<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n Its July 4th founding highlights the role of military strength in defending the freedoms first claimed in 1776.<\/p>\n 1803<\/strong> \u2013 The announcement of the Louisiana Purchase<\/a><\/strong>, which doubled the size of the U.S., was made public on July 4th.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n 1817<\/strong> \u2013 The construction of the Erie Canal<\/strong> began in New York State, a vital economic development for the young nation.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n 1826<\/strong> \u2013 Former U.S. Presidents Thomas Jefferson<\/strong> and John Adams<\/strong> 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\u2019s lasting legacy.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n 1831<\/strong> \u2013 James Monroe<\/strong>, the 5th President of the United States, also died on July 4th, adding to the significance of the date.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n 1855<\/strong> \u2013 The first edition of Walt Whitman\u2019s Leaves of Grass<\/strong> was published, celebrating the American spirit and individuality.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n 1863<\/strong> \u2013 The Confederate stronghold at Vicksburg<\/strong> surrendered to Union General Ulysses S. Grant<\/strong>, giving the Union control over the Mississippi River<\/strong>\u2014a turning point in the Civil War<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n Calvin Coolidge<\/strong> (1872\u20131933) \u2013 30th President of the United States, the only U.S. president born on Independence Day.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Nathaniel Hawthorne<\/strong> (1804\u20131864) \u2013 American author known for The Scarlet Letter<\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Gina Lollobrigida<\/strong> (1927\u20132023) \u2013 Italian actress and photojournalist.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Neil Simon<\/strong> (1927\u20132018) \u2013 American playwright known for The Odd Couple<\/em> and Barefoot in the Park<\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n Thomas Jefferson<\/strong> (1826) \u2013 3rd U.S. President and principal author of the Declaration of Independence.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n John Adams<\/strong> (1826) \u2013 2nd U.S. President and a key figure in the American Revolution<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n James Monroe<\/strong> (1831) \u2013 5th U.S. President, known for the Monroe Doctrine<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Marie Curie<\/strong> (1934) \u2013 Nobel Prize-winning physicist and chemist, known for her work on radioactivity<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n The Liberty Bell<\/strong>, one of America’s most enduring symbols of freedom, was rung (according to legend) on July 8, 1776, to celebrate the Declaration\u2014but it is forever associated with July 4th.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Approximately 150 million hot dogs<\/strong> are consumed in the U.S. on July 4th every year!<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Some towns in the U.S., such as Bristol, Rhode Island<\/a><\/strong>, have held continuous Independence Day parades since the 18th century<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n From declarations of independence to cultural landmarks, from tragic losses to new beginnings, July 4th<\/strong> is a day where the past and present collide in meaningful ways. History shows us that freedom, innovation, and resilience are never given\u2014they are built, protected, and celebrated.<\/p>\n 👉 Come back tomorrow for July 5th<\/strong>, and discover more remarkable stories from our shared past\u2014only at Earth Site\u2019s<\/a> On This Day<\/strong> series. [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n On the 22nd<\/sup> of March 1765, Britain began the \u2018Stamp Tax\u2019 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 \u2018The French and Indian War (1754-1763) had only ended and Tensions still ran high between the United Kingdom\u00a0<\/a>and\u00a0France<\/a>. Other taxes in Britain\u2019s 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\u2019s and implied that Americans were subjects with fewer rights than Britain\u2019s at home.<\/p>\r\n Former Prime Minister William Pitt the Elder gave a speech in Parliament in defence of America and their rights as equal citizens \u201cThis\u00a0Kingdom\u00a0has no right to lay a tax upon the colonies. They are the subjects of the\u00a0kingdom equally entitled with yourselves to all the\u00a0natural\u00a0rights of mankind and the peculiar privileges of Englishmen. The Americans are the sons not the bastards of England.\u201d<\/p>\r\n 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 \u201cBoston Tea Party\u201d.<\/p>\r\n On the 19th<\/sup> of April 1775, the military arm of the American Revolution began known as the \u2018American Revolutionary War\u2019 or the \u2018American War of Independence\u2019. 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 \u2018the shot that was heard across the world\u2019 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\u2019s 95 men killed and this victory to the patriots spurred on many more to join and fight the British.<\/p>\r\n A Continental Congress was formed and chose a committee to create a Declaration of Independence and on the 4th<\/sup>\u00a0of July 1774 the declaration was adopted by 12 colonies of the 13 original colonies of the United States of America. New York, the 13th<\/sup>\u00a0colony, would adopt the declaration on the 19th<\/sup> of July.<\/p>\r\n The colonists had many victories in decisive battles during the war and with help from their allies they would gain their Independence.<\/p>\r\n In 1778\u00a0France<\/a>\u00a0signed a treaty with America and went to war with Britain. They convinced\u00a0Spain<\/a>\u00a0to also go to war and on the 21st<\/sup>\u00a0of 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.<\/p>\r\n 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).<\/p>\r\n The French Naval and land troops greatly aided the American Victory, particularly in the Yorktown Campaign, where French soldiers outnumbered the American soldiers.<\/p>\r\n 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,\u00a0the United States of America<\/a>.<\/p><\/span><\/dd><\/dl>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_code admin_label=”Calendar Menu CSS” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ vertical_offset_tablet=”0″ horizontal_offset_tablet=”0″ z_index_tablet=”0″ box_shadow_horizontal_tablet=”0px” box_shadow_vertical_tablet=”0px” box_shadow_blur_tablet=”40px” box_shadow_spread_tablet=”0px” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n
\n🎆 1776 \u2013 The Declaration of Independence is Adopted<\/h2>\n
📜 Key Points of the Declaration:<\/h3>\n
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🎇 How the U.S. Celebrates:<\/h3>\n
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\n🏳️🌈 2015 \u2013 Same-Sex Marriage Becomes Legal in All 50 U.S. States<\/h2>\n
\n⚙️ 1881 \u2013 The Tuskegee Institute Opens<\/h2>\n
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\n🧪 1884 \u2013 The Statue of Liberty\u2019s Foundation is Laid<\/h2>\n
\n💡 1802 \u2013 The United States Military Academy Opens at West Point<\/h2>\n
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\n🌐 Other Notable July 4th Events:<\/h2>\n
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\n🎂 Famous Birthdays on July 4th:<\/h2>\n
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\n🕯️ Notable Deaths on July 4th:<\/h2>\n
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\n🌟 Did You Know?<\/h2>\n
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\n🔁 Keep the Celebration Going with Earth Site\u2019s On This Day<\/em> Series!<\/h2>\n
Because every day in history has a story worth telling. 🌎📜🎇<\/p>\n<\/span><\/dd>