Independence Day celebrates the birthday of the United States of America. Founded July 4th 1776, with the signing of the Declaration of Independence by the Continental Congress, on July 4, 1776, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.Independence Day is the national holiday of the United States of America America is celebrating it's 224th birthday in the year (2000)

At the time of the signing the US consisted of 13 colonies under the rule of England. The 13 Colonies were
Connecticut
Delaware
Georgia
Maryland
Massachusetts Bay
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New York
North Carolina
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
Virginia

There was growing unrest in the colonies concerning the taxes that had to be paid to England.The war between England and France had cost English vast sums of money. In order to raise this money England laid very heavy taxes on the colonists.

The colonies were not allowed to send representatives to the English parliment to help make the laws, and they thought this was very unfair. Many of the leading men of the colonies advised that people should not pay English taxes unless they were allowed to send representatives to the parliment. "No Taxation with out representation" became the cry in all parts of the country.

In 1775 a Congress of delegates from the colonies met at Philadelphia and decided to fight the British until England gave them the right of self-government. George washington was chosen to command the American army.

A volunteer army of Americans was immediately formed. After a year of fighting, which included the important battle of bunker Hill, near Boston, the colonists decided that the representation in the Parliment was not enough, but that a new nation, entirely free from England, should be established.

On 4th of July 1776, Congress issued the great "Declaration of independence," which stated that the colonies were no longer under British rule, but were a free and independent nation, Thomas Jefferson, one of the America's most famous statesmen, was the chairman of the committee of the 5 prominent men who wrote the Declaration on Independence.

On July 8th the Declaration had it's first public reading in Philadelphia's Independence Square. Twice that day the Declaration was read to cheering crowds and pealing church bells. Even the bell in Independence Hall was rung. The "Province Bell" would later be renamed "Liberty Bell" after it's inscription

Although the signing of the Declaration was not completed until August, the 4th of July has been accepted as the official anniversary of United States independence. The first Independence Day celebration took place the following year - July 4 1777

The Fourth of July soon became the main patriotic holiday of the entire country. Veterans of the Revolutionary War made a tradition of gathering on the Fourth to remember their victory.

In 1941, Congress declared July 4 a federal legal holiday.