Let’s celebrate the Independence Day of the United States!

On July 4, the Independence Day of the United States is commemorated. This day celebrates a transcendental act that separated the Thirteen Colonies from Great Britain in 1776; an event that led to the formation of the United States.

Many know that the Declaration of Independence is celebrated on July 4, but do we really know what happened on July 4, 1776?

The conflict between the colonies and England was already one year old; it was in Philadelphia in the summer of 1776 when the colonies convened a Continental Congress, and in a session on June 7 at the Pennsylvania State House (Independence Hall), Richard Henry Lee of Virginia presented a resolution with the famous words: “Resolved: That these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States, that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved.”

The truth is that on July 2, 1776, the Continental Congress voted in favor of independence, but it was two days later, on July 4, when the delegates of the 13 colonies adopted the Declaration of Independence, a historical document drafted by Thomas Jefferson.

After the War of 1812, in which the United States once again faced Great Britain, celebrations on this date became more common, and as the years went by, the idea of the 4th of July was further promoted as an important day to celebrate.

In 1870, the Congress of the United States declared a federal holiday on July 4; in 1941, the provision was extended to grant paid vacation on that day to all federal employees.

From then on, the 4th of July has been celebrated as the birth of American independence, with festivities ranging from fireworks, parades and concerts to more informal family gatherings and barbecues.

At InterCambio Express, we celebrate the independence of this country, which is our home and that of many Latino immigrants. Happy 4th of July!