What is Independence Day?

Independence Day on 4 July commemorates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence by the Continental Congress on 4 July 1776, formally declaring the thirteen American colonies free from British rule. Drafted primarily by Thomas Jefferson and revised by Congress, the Declaration proclaimed that all men are created equal and endowed with unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

The first Independence Day celebration took place in Philadelphia in 1777, and included fireworks, bonfires, and the ringing of bells — traditions that persist to this day. John Adams wrote to his wife Abigail predicting the day would be celebrated with "illuminations from one end of this continent to the other". Congress declared 4 July a federal holiday in 1870, and it became a paid federal holiday in 1938.

Today Independence Day is the United States's most celebrated patriotic holiday. Festivities include fireworks displays, parades, barbecues, concerts, baseball games, and family gatherings. The National Mall in Washington, D.C., hosts one of the largest fireworks shows in the country. The holiday is exclusively American — no other country observes 4 July as a national holiday.