Free
Four days after the Declaration was approved, Philadelphia’s Liberty Bell rang out. It called people to hear a reading of the document.
When that was done, people cheered and sang. But the fight had just begun. Five years passed before the Americans won freedom. After the war ended, Americans gathered each year on July 4 to mark the nation’s birthday. The Fourth of July (or Independence Day) is still our greatest holiday.
▲ As news of independence spread, Americans began to celebrate. In New York, a mob tore down a statue of King George. They smashed it to pieces. The lead chunks were later melted into bullets for Patriot guns.
Reflection
The statue of King George offended citizens of the newly independent country. Reflect on why people might have been offended. Consider statues of Jefferson Davis (right) and others connected to the Confederacy. Why might people be offended by them? What, if anything, should be done about them?
◀ A Philadelphia printer began making copies of the Declaration on the night of July 4. Horsemen rode out with copies in their saddlebags. It took two months for copies to reach places like Georgia and South Carolina.
A few cities celebrated the first anniversary of American independence. This became more common after the War of 1812. Big events—like breaking ground on the Erie Canal—were also celebrated on July 4. ▶
▲ The Liberty Bell is a symbol of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The bell weighed 2,080 pounds. In 1753, it was hung in the Pennsylvania State House. That’s now called Independence Hall. The bell was rung for many big events until 1846. That’s when its crack got so big that the bell no longer sounded good.
◀ The 100th anniversary of the Declaration was in 1876. Many cities held three-day-long parties. In San Francisco, 10,000 people joined a parade. It was over four miles long.
The 200th anniversary of the Declaration was in 1976. Washington, D.C., and other cities put on huge fireworks displays. How will Americans celebrate the nation on its 300th birthday, in 2076? ▶
The War in 1776
The year 1776 wasn’t a good one for the Patriots. When John Hancock was signing the Declaration, George Washington’s army had their worst losses. Washington had the Declaration read aloud to his troops in New York on July 9.
▲ In August, the British fought the Americans in New York. The Americans lost. They had to retreat. By November, the Americans were on the run again. They headed for New Jersey. The British were right behind them.
▲ At the Battle of Trenton, the Americans’ luck began to change. On Christmas Eve of 1776, Washington led his troops across the Delaware River. They caught the British by surprise. Then they won a second victory, at Princeton. Washington’s men faced many more dark times before the British gave up in 1781. But the American army ended the year with new confidence.
