Nearly 250 years ago, on July 4th, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was adopted, which had been written largely by Thomas Jefferson, who became the third president of the United States in 1801. Incidentally, the vote was approved on 2nd July, but wasn’t actually adopted until 2 days later. The written declaration stated that the American colonies were tired of being ruled by Great Britain and wanted to become their own country.

How did America become America?

On September 3, 1783, in the Treaty of Paris, the British acknowledged the independence and sovereignty of the Thirteen Colonies, leading to the establishment of the United States, with George Washington taking his oath of office as the first President of the United States in 1789.

Now’s here’s a thing. On the second anniversary of Independence Day in 1778, American troops were fighting in the American Revolutionary War. George Washington, a military leader at the time, ordered a double ration of rum for American soldiers to celebrate the holiday with. (And Prohibition started when? 142 years later. Prohibition lasted from 1920 to 1933 - 13 years! – with a nationwide ban on the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcoholic beverages, which ultimately led to increased organised crime, illegal activities, and a decline in public morale).

‘The Right to Bear Arms’ – was this misconstrued?

The Second Amendment to the US Constitution, in 1791, includes the statement: ‘A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed’. The amendment's reference to a ‘well-regulated Militia’ remains a point of interpretation, with some arguing it clarifies the purpose of the right to bear arms, while others contend it is a separate, historical reference that doesn't limit the individual right. As a point of interest, the most common firearms at that time were single-shot, muzzle-loading muskets and pistols, most often flintlocks, which were slow to load and relatively inaccurate compared to AR-15s, etc, that abound these days.

Credits: Unsplash; Author: @stephaniemccabe;

Here’s a bizarre fact
Actually, a sobering fact. Three US presidents died on July 4th: the first two being Thomas Jefferson and John Adams within hours of each other in 1826, and the third being James Monroe in 1831.

How many States are there?

The last state to join the list of ‘United States’ was Hawaii in 1959, which increased the total to 50. The American flag, officially adopted in 1960, was designed by Robert G. Heft as a high school history project, while he was a junior at Lancaster High School, Ohio, in 1958, and his design was chosen after Alaska and Hawaii had been included.

But did you know a 51-star flag has been created in case another actually joins the United States? Various unofficial designs for a 51-star flag exist, often in the context of discussions about statehood for Washington, D.C., or Puerto Rico.

Party Time

So, now the date of July 4th is celebrated by Americans across their nation with a variety of events and activities – and everything is red, white and blue! Common celebrations include parades, barbecues, and fireworks displays, with many towns and cities hosting festivals with live music, food, and games (and probably a drink or two). According to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council, 150 million hot dogs are consumed, and someone, somewhere, has calculated this would stretch from Washington D.C. to Los Angeles more than five times!

Author

Marilyn writes regularly for The Portugal News, and has lived in the Algarve for some years. A dog-lover, she has lived in Ireland, UK, Bermuda and the Isle of Man. 

Marilyn Sheridan