A Quick 4 Of July History Lesson

Okay, it seems we need a quick history lesson.

July 4, 1776 marks the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. The Fourth of July celebrates America’s independence from Great Britain.

Before there was an American Revolution, people came from Britain and other parts of Europe to settle in North America for many reasons. Some came seeking religious freedom, others wanted economic opportunity, land ownership, and a fresh start away from poverty and rigid social classes. Some were indentured servants working to earn their freedom, while others sought greater self-government than they had under the British Crown.

Over time, many colonists believed the British government had become increasingly tyrannical by imposing taxes without representation, restricting self-government, quartering troops, and limiting the rights they believed they possessed as Englishmen. Those growing tensions eventually led to the American Revolution.

July 4, 1776 is the day America declared its independence from Great Britain. It is a celebration of the birth of the United States not the end of slavery.

Many people also don’t realize that during the Revolutionary War, the British and the colonial army offered freedom to some enslaved Black Americans who escaped Patriot owners and fought for the Crown or vice verse Thousands accepted that opportunity in hopes of securing their freedom.

It’s also worth remembering that not every British leader supported slavery. William Wilberforce dedicated decades of his life to ending the British slave trade. After years of campaigning and gathering more than 390,000 petition signatures, Parliament passed the Slave Trade Act on March 25, 1807, abolishing the British transatlantic slave trade. Slavery itself was later abolished throughout most of the British Empire with the Slavery Abolition Act of August 28, 1833, which took effect on August 1, 1834.

For the United States:

🇺🇸 July 4, 1776 – Declaration of Independence adopted.

⛓️ January 1, 1863 – The Emancipation Proclamation took effect, declaring freedom for enslaved people in Confederate-held territory.

🇺🇸 December 6, 1865 – The 13th Amendment was ratified, abolishing slavery throughout the United States (except as punishment for a crime after conviction).

So, to my Black brothers and sisters who say the Fourth of July is “just a white holiday,” I’d encourage you to study the history before dismissing it. You don’t have to agree with everything America’s founders did to recognize that Independence Day commemorates the birth of our nation and our independence from British rule not the continuation of slavery.

Don’t let social media become your history teacher. Pick up a book. Read primary sources. Read multiple perspectives. The more you learn, the harder it becomes for misinformation to divide us.

History matters. Read. Learn. Think for yourself.