We celebrate our Independence Day each year to commemorate our Nation's separation from England. Here is a closer look at the meaning behind Independence Day and why we celebrate on the fourth of July.
The Continental Congress initially met in 1774 in the city of Philadelphia as a convention of representatives from the original 13 colonies. The Congress appointed a committee of five men to work on a draft of a document that would eventually become our country's Declaration of Independence from British rule. The committee consisted of John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Roger Sherman, and Robert R. Livingston. Jefferson was delegated by the committee to create the first draft, and Adams and Franklin completed many revisions before it was finally submitted to the Congress. We celebrate Independence Day on the fourth of July because this was the day in 1776 when the Declaration of Independence as we know it today was officially adopted by all 13 colonies, and the day that the United States of America was born.