Happy Second of July! It’s Independence Day!
Wait…the Fourth of July is Independence Day…isn’t it? Well, it depends.
On July 2, 1776, the Continental Congress adopted a resolution declaring its independence from Great Britain. The resolution stated, “That these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States, that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved.” With the passage of this measure, John Adams and others believed this day would be marked as a national holiday for generations to come.
After the July 2 vote for independence, members of the Continental Congress believed they needed to draft a document to explain the action to the public. It took a couple of days for a committee of five to craft the statement and receive the Continental Congress’s approval of its final edits. Once Thomas Jefferson and his fellow committee members got their sign-off, the Declaration of Independence was sent to a printer, with “IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776” printed on top. Therefore, the press release date, not the actual legislative action date, is recognized as our nation’s Independence Day.
The public, however, did not learn the news until July 8, 1776. Colonel John Nixon of Philadelphia read to the public for the first time the Declaration of Independence at what is now called Independence Square. Most of the document’s signers didn’t sign it until August 2, 1776.
The U.S. Congress made The Fourth of July an unpaid holiday for federal workers in 1870. In 1938, Congress changed it to a paid federal holiday. Today, if the holiday falls on a Saturday, it is officially observed the preceding Friday, July 3rd. If the fourth is on a Sunday, the official day becomes the next day, Monday, July 5. It is rarely observed on July 2, the actual day the resolution passed.
This year, the Fourth of July falls on Sunday, and therefore, we get Monday off from work. But we will still celebrate on Sunday. Besides being Independence Day, it is the Lord’s Day. Join us as we celebrate and ask God to bless America. We worship at 9:15 AM (indoor) and 10:30 AM (outdoor drive-in).
Happy Independence Days!