History of July 4th
Reminder: July 4th is also called Independence Day!!!

Read the paragraph below as it tells you a little history about July 4th and why it is an important day to remember.

The History Of Independence Day

Many years ago, colonists traveled across the ocean to America to find a better place to live. They set up colonies and began to establish their own rules to live by. However, the colonists were still under the rule of The King of England, King George III. The colonists grew tired of being governed by the king and paying the high taxes. They wanted to establish a government in America that was ruled by the people. There were 13 colonies who decided to rebel against the king. These colonies included: Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, and Virginia. These colonies elected representatives to meet in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1774. The representatives were called the First Continental Congress, and they decided to write a document to let England know they wanted to govern themselves. The men asked Thomas Jefferson to write the first draft of the Declaration of Independence. Meanwhile, things got so bad between America and England that they went to war. This war became known as the "shot heard around the world." Thousands of Americans lost their lives fighting for America's freedom, much like soldiers today. On July 4th, 1776, the Second Continental Congress met to adopt the final copy of the Declaration of  Independence and declare our independence from the King of England. However, the war with England did not end until 1783. Today, we celebrate the 4th of July with parties, picnics, fireworks, and days off work, but we must never forget the expensice price our forefathers paid se we could be free.

http://whitneyslp.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-history-of-4th-of-july.html 


WordDefinition
Thomas JeffersonHe was the third president of the United States and the author of the Declaration of Indpendence.
representativeA person chosen to speak for others.
Continental CongressKnown as a group of people that came from all of the 13 colonies to discuss talking about gaining independence from England.

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