Why Do We Celebrate the 4th of July? • FamilySearch
Why Do We Celebrate the 4th of July? • FamilySearch
Ever wondered why we celebrate the 4th of July with fireworks and barbecues? Discover the history behind the 4th of July and where its traditions came from.
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This was incredibly helpful! You Had AMAZING information and you explained everything really well! Thank you! ❤️💖🤩🇱🇷
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Very nice story, Amie.
Happy Independence Day!
Rick
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I loved this! Very well written and researched. Thank you. Happy 4th.
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What a. Blessing it is to be an American Citizen. God given rights…I pray we realize that turning to Him who gave them is the only way to keep them. 🗽🎆🇺🇲
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THank you, Amie, for your very interesting and well-written article about why we do what we do on July 4 every year. Your short article provides a depth of meaning to many of us as we celebrate the freedom and independance of our nation.
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Thank you !
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Well,Happy Fourth of July to everyone,and God bless America,and also kindl ybless you as well.
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Are you related to Arthur V. Tennant who lives in Kingsbury NY?
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Enjoyed the article, Amie, but you never answered the question, "Why?" Here's the answer: Colonists had no voice in Parliament. To control their subjects, the British needed to maintain a large North American army. Britain was also burdened with a huge war debt. Parliament passed the Stamp Act to pay for this, taxing all legal and official papers and publications circulating in the 13 colonies. Further squeezing the colonies, Parliament passed Acts taxing glass, lead, paint, paper, tea, sugar, wine, coffee, molasses and textiles. Lumber exports and the issuance of paper money were forbidden. Their purpose was to cripple the American colonists’ economy and bring them to heel. In 1774, Parliament passed the Coercive Acts. Dubbed the “Intolerable Acts” by American colonists, these took away economic liberty, the right of self-government by consent and elections, the right to a trial by jury, and the right to own property. The Acts also allowed British soldiers to invade colonists’ homes. In response to this onerous “taxation without representation,” American colonists formed the 1st Continental Congress. They established the Articles of Confederation, uniting the states under a federal government with limited powers. Hoping to head off a conflict, they sent a petition to King George calling for a repeal of the Coercive Acts; he refused even to read it. After shots were fired at Lexington and Concord, the 2nd Continental Congress met. They established a Continental army, electing George Washington as Commander-in-Chief and sent an “Olive Branch Petition” to King George hoping to reach a peaceful resolution. The King refused to hear the petition and declared the American colonies in revolt. On July 2, 1776, Congress voted to adopt Virginia delegate Richard Henry Lee’s resolution for independence and approved the wording prepared by a committee. The Declaration of Independence was adopted on July 4, 1776. Happy Independence Day!!
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Thank you for this article. It is a much needed reminder. We must remember to pass on our history to our children and grandchildren that they not forget. God bless America!
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it did not take my comment. Sorry! I have worked on my family history since I was 15 for a school project. I got hooked. I got older people to tell me stories and I write them down. I lost a lot when my computer went down twice. But now again I have it back to the early 1600’s on my Mother and Dad’s side.they were some of the earlier settlers in Virginia and New Amsterdam , New York now around where Harlem is now I believe. I am 80 this year so that will be about 70 years this fall. I will work on family history until I die. I have notebooks of our family . The parents and their children and who they married when I could find it. Thanks Mary Ellis
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Hello, the Declaration of Independence was actually Part 2. The original independence resolution passed on May 15, 1776, "totally suppressing" British government in the colonies. My brief peer-reviewed article on this is here:
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Thank you Annie, for your important reminder of this, one of the most important events in history. It is important to understand that the US Constitution established a Republic, not a Democracy. The difference is simple: A Republic is rule by law, while a Democracy is rule by majority vote. There are democratic elements in the process of formulating the law, but law is what protects our "inalienable," or inseparable from the person, God-given rights . The classic example is a lynch mob, in which the overwhelming majority favor execution (Democracy), but Constitutional law requires a fair trial without delay to determine guilt (Republic). When searching for candidates to support for public offices, make sure they understand this important concept!
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Thanks. I had never heard of the tradition of having a mock funeral before, but that sounds American.
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thank you for this very informative news
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