Rancho Cucamonga Did You Know . . .

July 4th, Independence Day is more than a day to consume large quantities of grilled foods and enjoy firework displays.  It's often surprising just how many people miss a key component of this 4^th of July weekend: truly celebrating Independence Day. 

Here's a little history on Independence Day that goes back to the middle of the 1700s.  The 13 colonies created First Continental Congress in direct response to the Boson Massacre. The Congress first met in September of 1774 and drew up a list of grievances against the crown which became the first draft of a document that would formally separate the colonies from England. Unfortunately, for the next eight years, colonists fought fervently in the Revolutionary War.

During that time, the Second Continental Congress presented and debated a second draft of the list of grievances, and John Hancock, the president of the Second Continental Congress, was the first to sign. The document, called the Declaration of Independence, was treasonous against the crown and the fifty-six men who signed it were in danger of being executed.

Independence Day is celebrated on July 4 because that is the day when the Continental Congress adopted the final draft of the Declaration of Independence. From July 8, 1776, until the next month, the document was read publicly and people celebrated whenever they heard it. The next year, in Philadelphia, bells rang and ships fired guns, candles and firecrackers were lighted. But the War of Independence dragged on until 1783, and in that year, Independence Day was made an official holiday. It took until 1941 for Congress to declare the 4th of July a federal holiday.

Now, every July fourth, Americans have a holiday from work, communities have day-long picnics, some cities have parades, and, at dusk, people in all over the country gather to watch the fireworks display. Wherever Americans are around the globe, they will get together for a traditional 4th of July celebration!

Have a Safe and Happy 4th of July