Fourth of July is a holiday celebrating the independence of the United States of America. Do you know these facts about the Fourth?
The Cost
An estimated 6,800 Americans were killed in the Revolutionary War. Another 8,000-12,000 died of disease while prisoners of war.
Why it’s Important
For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.
Nelson Mandela
The only real prison is fear, and the only real freedom is freedom from fear.
Aung San Suu Kyi
You will never know how much it has cost my generation to preserve your freedom. I hope you will make a good use of it.
John Adams (Founding Fathers)
Okay, those aren’t facts, but you should still know them. And now you do.
What’s in a Name?
It could have been called Resolution Day instead. The Declaration of Independence was first called the Lee Resolution, after Richard Henry Lee.
Original Document
Two hundred copies of the Declaration of Independence were made and distributed in 1776. Twenty-six have survived. An archivist discovered the twenty-sixth copy in 2009.
1776 Laptop
Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence on a mahogany laptop. He probably called it a lap desk.
Celebrations
In 1776, some colonists celebrated by holding mock funerals for the king of England.
Parades, speeches, and public readings of the Declaration of Independence were as common back then as they are today.
Bristol Fourth of July Parade, or Bristol Fourth of July Celebration (officially known as the Military, Civic and Firemen’s Parade), founded in 1785. That makes it the oldest annual Fourth of July celebration in the US.
Food
Turtle soup was a common holiday meal in the early days of celebrating Independence Day. The most popular meal today includes hot dogs. This is why July is National Hot Dog Month.
If you liked this post, you may want to read Fun Facts and Trivia About America’s Patriotic Music, Celebrating Freedom and Remembering Freedom Isn’t Free, and Underestimating the Value of Freedom.
Did you know these facts about the Fourth? Whether you did, or didn’t, have a safe and happy Fourth of July celebration.