Background:
As copies of the Declaration of Independence spread through
the colonies and were publicly read at town meetings,
people lit great bonfires, illuminated their windows with
candles, fired guns, rang bells, and tore down and destroyed
the symbols of monarchy on public buildings. (For background
information on the holiday, see The
Invention of the Fourth of July by David Waldstreicher
in this issue of HISTORY NOW.)
But what exactly were people celebrating? A speech or
a written document? Freedom or equality? Inalienable rights
or the right to rebel?
The actual Fourth of July holiday may have been started
by accident. On July 2, 1776, the Continental Congress
voted to approve a Virginia motion calling for separation
from Britain, with nine colonies expressing approval.
Two days later, on July 4th, the Declaration was formally
adopted by twelve colonies after some revision. (New York
approved the Declaration fifteen days later.) Aside from
John Hancock, the Declaration did not have many other
signers until August 2nd, and a significant number of
them did not sign the actual Declaration until the following
year. (Ultimately, fourteen men who had not even been
present on July 4th signed their names to the document.)
Congress did not discuss celebrating the anniversary of
independence at all until July 3, 1777, when it was too
late to honor July 2nd. As a result, the celebration took
place on July 4th, and marking the Declaration of Independence
on that date became the country’s tradition.
By 1786, the tenth anniversary of independence, the
Fourth of July had become a historic ritual in some
cities, with cannons or bells sounding early in the
morning. Militia or volunteer units marched in parades,
joined by citizens, to an official oration site. People
joined in song and later gathered around bonfires and
set off fireworks. The celebration was treated as a
holy day, “the Sabbath of our Freedom.”
(See Raphael, Ray. Founding Myths: Stories That
Hide Our Patriotic Past. [New York: The New Press.
2004], 248-51.)
In 1941 Congress declared July Fourth a federal holiday,
and today it is celebrated across the country.
Aim/Essential Question:
How does the celebration of Fourth of July help us understand
the ideals upon which the United States was founded?
Materials:
This lesson should follow homework assignments and classroom
discussions of the reasons for the creation of and impact
of The Declaration of Independence. A copy of the Declaration
can be provided for reference to each group as you begin
this lesson.
Objectives:
- Students will review the content of the Declaration
of Independence.
- Students will analyze July Fourth from the multiple
perspectives of various people from the American past.
- Students will assess the reasons for the popularity
of the holiday today.
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