Why July 4th?
The First Continental Congress convened in 1774, and the Second Continental Congress in 1775. During the Second Congress, Richard Henry Lee introduced a resolution to declare the 13 colonies free from British rule. The colonies were being forced to pay taxes without having representation in the British Parliament. This was known as “Taxation without Representation.” On June 11, 1776, the Second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia. The Congress formed a committee whose purpose was to draft a document that would officially dissolve ties with Great Britain. The final draft of the Declaration of Independence was officially adopted on July 4, 1776 and the first public readings of it were held in Philadelphia’s Independence Square on July 8, 1776. On July 4, 1777, also in Philadelphia, Congress was adjourned and Independence Day was celebrated with bells, bonfires and fireworks. In 1826, Thomas Jefferson was invited to participate in the 50th anniversary celebration of the Declaration o
