18. July Fourth

    July Fourth is the birthday of the United States. It is a national holiday. Another name for July Fourth is Independence Day. We celebrate July Fourth as Independence Day because on July 4, 1776, the original thirteen colonies declared their independence from England.

    Before 1776, the King of England ruled the thirteen colonies in America. The colonists were angry with the King because of taxes. They wanted their independence from England. A war started in 1775 between the colonists and soldiers from England. The colonists won the war. They wanted to say why they wanted their independence or freedom from England. So they chose Thomas Jefferson to write the Declaration of Independence.

    On July 4, 1776, the leaders of the colonies signed the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It said that all people were equal and had the right to live in freedom. A new nation was born. People rang bells and fired guns for the birth of the United States of America.

    Today, we celebrate July Fourth in many different ways. During the day, many people get together with friends and family members for picnics. Many cities have parades with bands in the streets. At night there are noisy fireworks. These beautiful fireworks of different colors light up the sky all across the country.

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