Did You Know?

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Congress did not officially declare July 4th a paid federal holiday until 1931, 61 years after it was initially proposed as a federal holiday. Of course, the significance of July 4th dates back to July 4, 1776, when the Second Continental Congress adopted the final draft of the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia. Though Philadelphians remembered the 4th of July the following year, with celebrations that even included firecrackers, most celebrations proved modest until the war ended in 1783. However, certain places adopted July 4th as a holiday beginning in 1783. Boston, for instance, had used the date of the Boston Massacre (March 5th) as its major patriotic holiday until the city made July 4th a holiday upon the conclusion of the Revolutionary War. Boston's celebration of July 4th continues to be one of the nation's strongest, and its annual Independence Day fireworks show held over the Charles River Esplanade has even been broadcast nationwide in recent years.