Happy 4th of July

July 4th is a prominent day in presidential history. Among the things that happened on this day are the following:

1776 - The amended Declaration of Independence, prepared by Thomas Jefferson, was approved and signed by John Hancock, the President of the Continental Congress in America.

1826 - The second president of the United States, John Adams, died.

1826 - The third president of the United States, Thomas Jefferson, died.

1831 - The fifth president of the United States, James Monroe, died.




During the American Revolution, the legal separation of the American colonies from Great Britain occurred on July 2, 1776, when the Second Continental Congress voted to approve a "resolution of independence" that had been proposed in June by Richard Henry Lee of Virginia. After voting for independence, Congress next turned its attention to the Declaration of Independence, a statement explaining this decision, which had been prepared by a Committee of Five, with Thomas Jefferson as its principal author. Congress debated and revised the Declaration, finally approving it on July 4. A day earlier, John Adams had written to his wife Abigail:

"The second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more."

Adams' prediction was off by two days. From the outset, Americans celebrated independence on July 4, the date shown on the much-publicized Declaration of Independence, rather than on July 2, the date the resolution of independence was approved in a closed session of Congress.



In a remarkable coincidence, both John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, the only signers of the Declaration of Independence to later serve as President, both died on the same day: July 4, 1826, which was the 50th anniversary of the Declaration. The two men had a falling out after the hotly contested election of 1800 in which both sides were harshly critical of one another. In their retirement, the two men made amends and enjoyed a friendly correspondence.




Adams died at his home in Quincy, Massachusetts at 6:20 a.m. at the age of 90. While on his deathbed he was told that it was the fourth of July, and said "It is a great day. It is a good day." His last words have been reported as "Thomas Jefferson survives". This wasn't accurate however because Jefferson had died a few hours earlier at his home in Monticello, Virginia. He was 83 years old.

Happy July 4th everyone!