Nearly 250 years have passed since the formal signing of the Declaration of Independence. Sure, this is a long period but in the history of nations, we are young nation with a bright future. Without question, our country has endured much since that date, but what a day to celebrate; the birth of a new nation dedicated to forming a “more perfect union”. On this July 4th, we trust you will enjoy time with family and friends as we collectively celebrate the United States of America. We are thankful to all of our clients for the privilege you have bestowed upon our team to help guide your families.
A Brief History of the July 4th celebration:
On June 7, 1776, when the Continental Congress met at the Pennsylvania State House (later Independence Hall) in Philadelphia, the Virginia delegate Richard Henry Lee introduced a motion calling for the colonies’ independence.
Amid heated debate, Congress postponed the vote on Lee’s resolution, but appointed a five-man committee—including Thomas Jefferson of Virginia, John Adams of Massachusetts, Roger Sherman of Connecticut, Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania and Robert R. Livingston of New York—to draft a formal statement justifying the break with Great Britain.
About a month later on July 2nd, the Continental Congress voted in favor of Lee’s resolution for independence in a near-unanimous vote (the New York delegation abstained, but later voted affirmatively). On that day, John Adams wrote to his wife Abigail that July 2 “will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival” and that the celebration should include “Pomp and Parade…Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other.”
On July 4th, the Continental Congress formally adopted the Declaration of Independence, which had been written largely by Jefferson. Though the vote for actual independence took place on July 2nd, from then on the 4th became the day that was celebrated as the birth of American independence. However, it was until 1870, when the U.S. Congress made July 4th a federal holiday.
July 2021
