July 4th, the Declaration, and American independence.
Test your knowledge with these top questions!
What is the State House Yard, site of the Declaration's first public reading, called today?
Colonel John Nixon gave the first public reading in Independence Square on July 8, 1776.
On which date did Congress vote for American independence?
John Adams expected July 2, not July 4, to become the nation's great anniversary celebration.
Which abolitionist gave a famous July Fourth address in Rochester in 1852?
Douglass delivered "What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?" on July 5, challenging slavery with the nation's own ideals.
During July Fourth's Salute to the Union, each cannon round represents what?
The salute's total changed as the Union grew; with 50 states, the ceremony fires 50 rounds at noon.
Which phrase replaced Jefferson's "sacred & undeniable" before Congress reviewed the Declaration?
Historians disagree on who substituted "self-evident," but the edit predates John Adams's copy.
On August 2, 1776, what did most Declaration signers do?
The famous parchment gathered most signatures on August 2, while several delegates added their names later.
Whose overnight ride broke a tie in Delaware's vote for independence?
Rodney reached Philadelphia in time to cast Delaware's deciding vote for independence on July 2, 1776.
The Committee of Five included Jefferson, Adams, Franklin, and which other pair?
The five members came from Virginia, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and New York.
John Adams predicted which date would become America's great anniversary festival?
Congress voted for independence on July 2; it adopted the Declaration's text on July 4.
Which food stars in Coney Island's famous July Fourth eating contest?
Winners claim a mustard-yellow championship belt, giving the Coney Island contest its own title-fight trophy.