Every year, on
July 4, American's celebrate Independence Day, a day which supposedly marks yet
another year that America has been a country. According to popular belief, the
colonies that would soon become the USA declared independence from the British
on July 4, however that isn't actually true.
In fact, the
colonies in the USA actually became independent from the British on July 2, and
in a letter to his wife, Thomas Jefferson says "the Second of July, 1776,
will be the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America. I am apt to
believe it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great
anniversary Festival."
Jefferson, of
course, was fully aware that his country formed on July 2, 1776, but the reason
that Americans celebrate on July 4 is because that is when the Declaration of
Independence was signed! On July 2, 1776, a vote was passed that made the
United States of America independent from Britain.
