:: 4th of July History ::

Red, white, and blue fireworks burst above the land from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific. In the year 1907, English settlers landed at Jamestown, Virginia. In the following years, people from many countries came to America. Some came because they wanted a better life Some wished to worship God in their own way. And almost all wanted land.

As time went on, the Americans wanted a greater voice in their affairs. They wanted to make their own laws. They did not want a king to say how they should live. There was more and more trouble.

Finally on April 19, 1775, there was a battle between American patriots and British soldiers. It was the beginning of the Revolutionary War. At first, the Americans simply fought to defend their rights. But before long, they wanted full independence.

On July 4, 1776, the American leaders approved the Declaration of Independence. This was an important paper. It said the people had the right to be free. The thirteen colonies united to fight for that freedom. The war lasted eight years. Finally, in 1783, peace came. The people of this new land had won their freedom. On every Fourth of July, this fight for freedom is remembered all over America.

Independence Day, as the Fourth of July is also called, is a national holiday in the United States. Girl scouts, Boy scouts, members of the armed forces, and schoolchildren take part in parades. Band members march by in bright uniforms. Americans take great pride in seeing the Stars and Stripes, their country's flag, held high to these parades.
It is a birthday salute to America. The Fourth of July is a celebration of freedom for people from many different countries.

I pledge allegiance to the flag, of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.