Independence Day, also known as the Fourth of July, commemorates the approval of the Declaration of Independence by the Continental Congress on 4 July 1776, proclaiming the separation of the 13 colonies from the British monarchy.
In June of the same year, a Committee of Five was created to draft a statement to present the colonies' case for separation.
Those committee members were John Adams, Roger Sherman, Benjamin Franklin, Robert R. Livingston, and Thomas Jefferson.
Revisions were made from then until late afternoon of July 4, when 9 of 13 colonies voted in favor of the official adoption of the document.
Pennsylvania and South Carolina voted no, while Delaware was undecided and New York abstained from voting.
Independence Day is celebrated through a display of fireworks, parades, family reunions, and much more to pay tribute to the history and traditions of the United States.