What does Independence Day celebrate?
Answer
American independence
Explanation
Independence Day celebrates American independence: specifically, the adoption of the Declaration of Independence by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, which formally announced that the thirteen American colonies were no longer subject to the British Crown and were free and independent states. The Declaration was written principally by Thomas Jefferson of Virginia, with revisions from a Committee of Five (Jefferson, John Adams of Massachusetts, Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania, Roger Sherman of Connecticut, and Robert R. Livingston of New York) and from the full Congress. It was based on a resolution introduced by Richard Henry Lee of Virginia on June 7, 1776 and approved on July 2, 1776.
Its second paragraph famously states that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness, and that to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. The Declaration set out a long list of grievances against King George III (27 specific charges) and concluded by declaring the colonies' separation from Britain. The document is on permanent display in the Rotunda for the Charters of Freedom at the National Archives in Washington, D.C., alongside the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
Independence Day is therefore not a celebration of victory in the Revolutionary War (which lasted until 1783), but of the political act of declaring independence and of the principles of natural rights and consent of the governed that the Declaration articulated. The first organized celebrations of July 4 took place in 1777 in Philadelphia, with parades, fireworks, bonfires, and the firing of 13 cannon (one for each colony). Massachusetts made it a state holiday in 1781.
Congress made it a federal employee holiday in 1870 and a paid federal holiday in 1938. It is now one of eleven federal public holidays under 5 U.S.C. section 6103. The day is marked across the country with fireworks, parades, public readings of the Declaration, naturalization ceremonies, and patriotic concerts; the National Mall fireworks in Washington, D.C. are televised nationally, and Macy's holds a major show in New York Harbor.
Why this matters for your test
Knowing what Independence Day celebrates ties the holiday to the Declaration of Independence and its principles, especially the doctrine of natural rights and government by consent. It distinguishes the holiday from later events such as the Constitution, Yorktown, or the Treaty of Paris, and orients applicants to the founding act of the country.
Source: USCIS 128 Civics Questions (2025)
