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1776—what an amazing year! By the end of it, many Americans were no longer loyal subjects of Britain’s King George III.
Instead, they were proud citizens of a new nation. Of course, this didn’t happen in just 12 months. By 1776, Britain and its 13 American colonies had been arguing with each other off and on for many years. Still, when 1776 began, many colonists thought the two sides would find a way to make peace. In January 1776, colonial leaders met in Philadelphia at the Continental Congress. They said that they “had no design to set up an independent nation.” Just seven months later, in July 1776, they declared their independence from Britain. It was the first Independence Day of the United States of America. How did it all happen?
