*sigh*
On 2 July 1776, the American Colonies finished their declaration of independence; basically, "Hey, England! We don't want you governing us from afar... we want to be independent and separate." And they drew up a document [with beautifully, frilly language] to say just that. THEN, it had to be couriered around to get everyone to sign it. So, by mid-August of that year, The Declaration was officially signed. Versions without the signatures were printed up and passed around on/near 4 July, though.
As for actually gaining our independence from Britain, that didn't come along until the end of the war. In September of 1783, the war officially ended and treaties were signed and as Britain lost the war, they had to acknowledge our terms, thus giving America the independence they wanted.
As for the celebrations - The first 4 July celebration was held in Maine in 1820. And it was only adopted as a national holiday in 1870, probably in time for the big hoopla of Centennial celebrations to come 6 years later. Before 1820 and nationalizing the holiday in 1870, it was only a scattered celebration for some people in the now states, that had been Colonies before the war. Most notably cities in New England.
Think of it in terms of the American Civil War, if you must. The states succeeded and wanted to be independent from the Union. Nobody says that the Southern states gained their independence from the Union on the day the first states succeeded. Why? Because gaining independence you have to see the thing through first. All the Southern states did was say, "We want to be independent and we're going to, see? We just left the Union" Which is exactly what the Colonists did; they had a plan [incidentally, the plan was they just wanted England to govern them better, not to become separate, but King George wouldn't hear it, so it was war and then a year later, a declaration.], said "we want to be separate, see we're doing it!" and that was that. No freedom is gained until the war is won and it's all finished.
Sure, random people in random places might fire off a gun or ring a bell on that day or in following years, but there were no big to-do's until later and the 4th of July has not been a continuous, uninterrupted national holiday all these 234 years. It's only been 140 years.
It's fine and dandy if we mark the 4th of July as a holiday; George Washington gave his men a double ration of rum to mark the day in 1778... but at least have the decency to know your own history and what you are actually celebrating. We're celebrating that the colonists decided after a year of war with Britain, that their King George wouldn't listen to them on better governing and thus decided they would just have to become their own country and drew up a document to tell Britain just that. There was no signing, no actual independence was gained and there was no celebration [besides, what... people saying "Huzzah!"?]. You are simply celebrating your intent to be free and separate from Britain. Maybe we should have picked a better day? Like 3 September [1783], when the treaties were signed and we were actually independent. Or how about 14 January [1784], when congress actually adopted the treaty, thus making it legitimate into our own government?
It makes sense that the colonists would be happy every year after 1776 for their intent to be independent. It gave them hope through a drawn out war. Something to hold on to and boost their moral. "We did it. We actually told home where they could shove it. Oh man, this is big. Maybe we'll actually win!"
And we did win... and nobody celebrates the fact that we won? That our intent actually panned out and became reality? That's like somebody celebrating the day they tried to get pregnant, day of conception. Sure, that's fine during the pregnancy... but after the baby is born would you still celebrate the day you thought about getting pregnant? I'm going to wager a 'No' there, because most people celebrate the day the child was actually born.
Just a thought...
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