Five Surprising Facts About the Fourth of July
One colony didn't originally vote for independence.
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
-
Contunico © ZDF Studios GmbH, MainzLearn about the Christmas traditions of Advent calendars and wreaths.
-
Contunico © ZDF Studios GmbH, Mainz; Thumbnail © Hwannaa/Dreamstime.comLearn about Songkran, a New Year festival in Thailand that is celebrated in April.
-
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.Learn how to pronounce the name of the Indian harvest festival of Lohri.Media Editor: Lee Goldstein
-
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.; thumbnail: Universal Images Group/Image QuestLearn about the history of Presidents' Day, an American holiday that is popularly recognized as honoring presidents George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, who were both born in February.
-
Great Museums Television (A Britannica Publishing Partner)A discussion of the artifacts in the National Museum of American History, one of the museums of the Smithsonian Institution, from the documentary Riches, Rivals, and Radicals: 100 Years of Museums in America.
-
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.; thumbnail © Tetra Images/Getty ImagesWhy fireworks?
-
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.Dramatization of scenes from George Washington's service in the American Revolutionary War, including crossing the Delaware, spending the winter at Valley Forge, and defeating the British at the Battle of Yorktown
Transcript
Fast Facts: 5 Fourth of July Facts You Didn't Know
1. Though Independence Day is celebrated on the 4th of July, the Continental Congress actually voted to separate from Great Britain on the 2nd… …but didn’t finish editing the Declaration of Independence until two days later.
2. Delegates from only 12 of the 13 colonies voted on the 2nd for independence from Great Britain; the New York delegation abstained that day but later in July also voted for independence.
3. Early Fourth of July activities were based on the British king’s birthday celebration, which was marked with bell ringing, bonfires, speeches, and parades.
4. The first few days after independence was declared, people in several towns held mock funerals for the king, whose “death” symbolized the end of tyranny.
5. As American leisure time increased, the Fourth of July became known for heavy drinking and injuries from fireworks.
In response, 19th-century and early 20th-century reformers created a “Safe and Sane Fourth of July” movement intended to curb Independence Day partying.
1. Though Independence Day is celebrated on the 4th of July, the Continental Congress actually voted to separate from Great Britain on the 2nd… …but didn’t finish editing the Declaration of Independence until two days later.
2. Delegates from only 12 of the 13 colonies voted on the 2nd for independence from Great Britain; the New York delegation abstained that day but later in July also voted for independence.
3. Early Fourth of July activities were based on the British king’s birthday celebration, which was marked with bell ringing, bonfires, speeches, and parades.
4. The first few days after independence was declared, people in several towns held mock funerals for the king, whose “death” symbolized the end of tyranny.
5. As American leisure time increased, the Fourth of July became known for heavy drinking and injuries from fireworks.
In response, 19th-century and early 20th-century reformers created a “Safe and Sane Fourth of July” movement intended to curb Independence Day partying.