July 4, Independent Day: what the Americans celebrate

On July 4, 1776, 249 years ago, the continental congress, i.e. the assembly of the 56 delegates from the 13 British colonies in the land of America (New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina of the South and Georgia). Independence.

There are dates that remain impressed in memory even if they have nothing to do with the country where you live. One of these is July 4, the American independence party that is in the collective imagination thanks to cinema and television, so much so that the barbecue is done, as the Americans do in theirs Independent Day.

No taxation

The declaration of independence sanctioned the farewell to the now hated motherland with the elimination of every bond of political dependence from Great Britain who had not allowed to have voting and formal representation to the American colonies and these felt exploited: the colonies could only trade with the motherland and could not independently have what they produced. The motto of the rebels was “no taxation without represementation”, no taxes without having a political representation in the British Parliament.

Boston Tea Party

The no to this request led to the revolt of the colonies since 1773 against the motherland led by King Giorgio III, remembered forever as the one who lost the American colonies. Perhaps the best known episode is that of the Boston Tea Party. A group of colonists disguised as Indians attacked some ships from the indie company charged with tea in Boston and threw the goods into the sea to protest against the favorable conditions that the British merchants enjoyed. The actual war, with George Washington to lead the Americans, went on from 1775 to 1778. British recognized US autonomy in 1783 and in 1787 the Filadelphia Convention adopted the current Constitution of the United States.

The declaration of independence

«We believe that these truths are evident for themselves: that all men are created equal; that they are by the creator with certain inalienable rights, which among these rights are life, freedom, and the pursuit of happiness; that to guarantee these rights are established among men governments that derive their right powers from the consent of the governed … ».

The text of the declaration, which contains some of the basic principles of philosophy that still rules the United States, has been drawn up by the future third president Thomas Jefferson. The approval took place on July 2, the 4th was the ratification of the act to Pennsylvania State House in Philadelphia, where it is kept together with the bell of freedom. The president of Congress John Hancock signed her and after him the elected representatives of the 13 colonies.

The party

It was not immediately a holiday day on July 4th. Jefferson died in 1826, on July 4th, 50 years after the declaration and the date became even more solemn. Already in 1781 it was recognized by the Massachusetts and the term Independent Day was used for the first time in 1791.Dal 1870 was established as a federal holiday, unpaid, for government employees. Only in 1941 did he become a federal feast paid.

Event and parades are organized in each state. The protagonists are the stars and stripes flag and the fireworks, but also the barbecues and baseball games. Aliens arrived at the cinema on July 4th in Independent Day and it is Born on July 4th the veteran played by Tom Cruise (however really born the day before) and directed by Oliver Stone who becomes pacifist after losing the use of the legs in the horror of Vietnam.