Why do Americans celebrate Independence Day on the 4th of July?

The colonies had moved toward independence after decades of tension caused by British attempts to tighten control and raise money from North America.

Parliament had begun exerting more control over the colonies following Britain’s victory in the Seven Years’ War in 1763, when it faced a growing national debt estimated at over £130 million, according to Treasury records at the time, and tried to raise funds through new taxation schemes.

Prime Minister George Grenville led efforts to impose these measures. The Stamp Act of 1765 introduced the first direct tax on the colonists, which required printed materials to carry a revenue stamp, which triggered planned protests and many protests.

The Stamp Act Congress issued a declaration asserting that taxation without consent was unconstitutional, and popular slogans such as "no taxation without representation" spread widely. 

Many colonists insisted that such taxes went against their rights as Englishmen. As resistance hardened, colonial assemblies issued petitions, organised boycotts, and formed groups like the Committees of Correspondence.

Tensions escalated again in 1770 when British soldiers fired into a crowd of protestors during what became known as the Boston Massacre, which left five civilians dead, including Crispus Attucks and Samuel Gray, and which increased public anger.

John Adams, who would later become president, chose to defend the British soldiers in court. 

Parliament responded to growing defiance by passing strict laws designed to punish Massachusetts for the Boston Tea Party of 1773, during which colonists destroyed 342 chests of East India Company tea valued at approximately $1.7 million in today’s currency, based on commodity price comparisons.

These laws, which the British called the Coercive Acts and the colonists labelled the Intolerable Acts, included the closure of Boston’s port and the removal of local self-rule, which many colonists seen as an attempt to control them harshly.

By 19 April 1775, open conflict had begun at Lexington and Concord, where approximately 77 colonial militiamen confronted a British force of 700 troops sent to seize arms and arrest revolutionary leaders. 

As the war spread, many leaders began to believe that reconciliation no longer offered a viable solution.

Figures such as John Adams and Patrick Henry had argued that continued loyalty to the crown would only invite further repression.

By mid-1776, the momentum in the Continental Congress had clearly shifted toward complete separation. 

The Declaration of Independence was a formal announcement that the thirteen colonies no longer recognised British authority and claimed the right to rule themselves.

On 11 June 1776, the Continental Congress appointed a committee, later known as the Committee of Five, to prepare a written declaration explaining the decision, and Thomas Jefferson took the lead in drafting the text, while John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert Livingston provided revisions and support. 

The final version was adopted on 4 July 1776 and included three key components: a statement of Enlightenment principles justifying the right to revolution, a long list of specific complaints against King George III, and a conclusion that the colonies now considered themselves free and independent states.

Jefferson’s prose drew upon the political theories of John Locke and other Enlightenment writers who had argued that legitimate governments must protect natural rights such as life, liberty, and property.

One of the most famous lines declared, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal." 

Congress issued more than a complaint when it offered reasons to support the revolution.

The list of grievances included charges that the king had dissolved colonial legislatures, maintained standing armies in peacetime without consent, imposed taxes without representation, and denied colonists the benefits of trial by jury.

Each accusation aimed to demonstrate that British rule had become destructive to the rights of free people. 

After its adoption, the declaration had been printed and distributed across the colonies, and had been read aloud in public gatherings to inform citizens of the decision.

The first printed versions, known as the Dunlap Broadsides, numbered about 200 copies, and fewer than 30 remain today.

The first public reading occurred on 8 July 1776 in Philadelphia. Its text appeared in newspapers, was posted in town centres, and became a useful way to unite people behind independence. 

The first official celebration of Independence Day took place on 4 July 1777 in Philadelphia, exactly one year after the document’s adoption.

The city hosted a public gathering that featured bonfires, fireworks launched from the commons, music, and a display of patriotic unity, while ships in the harbour fired salutes and bells rang across the city.

The USS Randolph, which had been commissioned the previous year, reportedly offered a 13-gun salute in honour of the original thirteen states.

That initial celebration reflected both pride in the revolution and a desire to build morale during a difficult period of the war. 

Other towns and communities followed suit, in which they held their own commemorations with varying degrees of ceremony and organisation.

Soldiers read the declaration aloud in camps, and ministers included references to it in sermons to encourage perseverance in the fight for liberty.

Many Americans considered the date sacred and began treating it as a national holiday well before the war had ended. 

John Adams had written to his wife Abigail that 2 July, the day Congress voted for independence, htat it should be remembered forever as a national holiday.

However, the public came to associate the occasion with the 4th because that was the date printed on the Declaration and widely recognised as the day of official proclamation. 

After the United States achieved independence, Americans came to mark 4 July as a time to express national pride while commemorating the sacrifices made during the revolution and thinking about their rights and duties.

During the early 19th century, the day gained popularity across the growing republic, especially as veterans, politicians, and educators promoted it as a sign of unity and freedom.

Cities and towns organised parades, cannon salutes, and public readings of the Declaration, while citizens displayed flags, fired muskets, and shared meals in open-air gatherings. 

However, political groups also used the holiday to promote their ideologies. In the early decades of the republic, rival parties such as the Federalists and Democratic-Republicans sponsored their own events, using oratory and symbolism to champion different interpretations of American independence.

These competing narratives showed wider discussions about the meaning of the revolution and the future of the republic. 

Congress formally declared 4 July a federal holiday in 1870, and by the end of the 19th century, it had become the most widely celebrated civic event in the country.

The growth of public education contributed to this process, as schools incorporated patriotic instruction into their lessons and encouraged students to honour the nation’s founding.

Fireworks, music, and flag displays became standard features of the holiday, along with speeches by local officials and veterans’ organisations.

Even Frederick Douglass offered a powerful counterpoint in 1852 with his speech "What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?" which criticised the exclusion of enslaved people from the freedoms being celebrated. 

In 1938, Congress passed legislation making Independence Day a paid holiday for federal employees.

During the 20th century, the holiday evolved into a cultural and social event as well, accompanied by picnics, barbecues, and large-scale entertainment.

Although its political and historical origins remained central, Americans increasingly viewed it as a time to relax with family and enjoy communal activities. 

Today, Independence Day is both a celebration of historical memory and a celebration of being American.

Across the United States, cities and towns organise parades featuring marching bands, veterans’ groups, civic associations, and floats decorated in red, white, and blue.

The reading of the Declaration of Independence still occurs in many public spaces, and museums and historical sites often host special exhibits and tours. 

Firework displays form one of the most well-known features of the day, with large events held in major cities such as Washington, D.C., New York, Boston, and Chicago.

The annual Macy’s show in New York uses more than 75,000 shells and draws millions of viewers.

Meanwhile, families gather in parks, beaches, or backyards to watch the night sky light up with colour, accompanied by patriotic music and live performances.

Local councils often sponsor these displays to create a shared experience that brings the community together. 

Americans also express their patriotism through symbolic actions, as citizens decorate homes with flags, wear themed clothing, and share historical facts or quotations on social media.

Some attend citizenship ceremonies held on 4 July, where immigrants take the oath of citizenship and join the American civic community in a clear connection to the founding ideals of 1776.

In recent years, approximately 14,000 individuals have taken part in naturalisation ceremonies held on or near Independence Day each year, with around 100 to 150 ceremonies conducted nationwide. 

Although the way people celebrate has changed over time, the core purpose stays the same.

The holiday recalls a moment of political clarity when representatives of thirteen colonies asserted their right to self-government and publicly declared their independence.