Americans fly their flag on July 4

Press, 2 July 1985, Page 17

Americans fly their flag on July 4

This Thursday is an important holiday in the United States, where Independence Day has been celebrated on July 4 for over 200 years. The date marks the day in 1776 when representatives of the original 13 states of North America declared their independence from Britain. The declaration was made one year after the American colonists and British Government troops had started to fight the American War of Independence.

The war, which lasted eight years, ended when Britain signed the Treaty of Paris in 1783, giving the colonies of America their independence.

The Declaration of Independence was read to the people of Philadelphia at a meeting place in the centre of the town in July 1776. The meeting site is now called Independence Square. The people of Philadelphia began, there and then, to celebrate their country’s independence, and since that time Americans have continued to celebrate on Independence Day, the fourth of July. At the first reading of the Declaration of Independence, there were great shouts of joy from the assembled citizens. The colonists of North America believed strongly that they must free themselves from British rule and become self governing. In the early days, Independence Day was celebrated with parades and bonfires. Ships in harbours were decorated with hundreds of flags, and cannons roared all day and into the night. Today, jet planes streak across the skies while large cities hold parades and picnics. Speeches and firecrackers are often part of the celebrations in smaller towns.