FAIL - Americans Don't Know Why We Celebrate 4th of July!

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Dave70968

Dave70968

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I don't particularly know why myself.

Popularly (and by legal decree), Independence Day is celebrated on 4 July. On that day, the Declaration of Independence was ratified (though modern scholarship suggests that the actual signing was on 2 August). However, the Declaration wasn't the day we gave King George the ol' heave-ho, just the day we deigned to explain ourselves.

The Second Continental Congress first met on 10 May 1775; among its early actions were appointing Geo. Washington as commanding general of the Continental Army, issuing the Declaration of Causes explaining why the colonists took up arms (see, e.g. Lexington and Concord), and issuing the Olive Branch Petition as a last chance at reconciliation with King George (8 July 1775).

Over the course of its session (which lasted until 12 December 1776) it did many other things, including voting--unanimously, I would note--to become an independent nation. That vote took place not on 4 July, but rather on 2 July.

In all truth, we ought to be celebrating today.
 

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