Did You Know The US Independence Day is Actually July 2nd?
Congress approved our independence on July 2nd. The decision was then officially documented and the final version of the "Declaration of Independence" was approved on July 4th.
Americans celebrate independence on July 4, the date shown on the Declaration of Independence, rather than on July 2, the actual date we declared our independence.
Some say that it should be July 4th because Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Benjamin Franklin signed the document on that date (which is true) -- however, it wasn't fully signed by everyone until August 2, 1776 (but some say it wasn't fully signed until the end of November), and not on July 4. Using that logic, we should celebrate it on August 2nd.
Given that the document says July 4, it probably makes sense to stick with it.
John Hancock was the first person to sign the Declaration of Independence and he didn't sign it until August 2nd, 1776. On July 2nd Congress declared independence by adopting the Lee Resolution (Richard Henry Lee had introduced a resolution urging Congress to declare independence from Great Britain on June 7th). On July 4th Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence and ordered that it be printed. John Dunlap, an Irish immigrant, is rumored to have spent the better part of that night typesetting and printing the document. These prints are now called "Dunlap Broadsides." Twenty-four copies are known to exist, two of which are in the Library of Congress. One of these was Washington's personal copy.
@nortonsark: I disagree, we should celebrate on July 2nd-4th. I mean who couldn't use 3 days off in the middle of summer? :)
Yes, I feel like that was something we learned in oh, maybe 5th grade...but I have to agree with @nortonsark -- document shows July 4th...so, I'll be celebrating on the 4th! (chanting:) USA, USA, USA!
Man, I'm also getting hyped for the Olympics!
@hossdawg97: there you go! That's the spirit!
@nortonsark: Just because the document has a specific date on it and we know it's wrong is the reason we should celebrate it on the wrong date? Sounds logical but I'd rather have people learn the truth and celebrate it on the correct date going forward.
Just because we did something wrong in the past, is that reason to continue doing it wrong into the future?
@hossdawg97: Even though 24 copies are known to exist, the original July 4th version has been lost.
@cengland0: As far as actual dates go you could argue that September 3, 1783 (the signing of the Treaty of Paris) is the true date of U.S. independence from Great Britain and should be celebrated.
@hossdawg97: And then we had a second "War of Independence" during the War of 1812
This is almost as upsetting as finding out that Pluto was no longer a planet.
@eraten: What? Pluto is no longer a planet? That was my favorite one.
July 4th has a better sound to it. I mean, really, "Hotter than the 2nd of July" just isn't the same.
@cengland0: And the only one named after a dog. :)
@jsimsace: Plus, the Meat Puppets or Nirvana would have to redo Lake of Fire, and that isn't likely to happen. So best stick with the 4th.
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