Fourth of July questions and answers

What is the Fourth of July? The Fourth of July is an annual celebration in the United States. It is also called Independence Day because it marks the day that the Declaration of Independence was signed by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776. What is the Declaration of Independence? The Continental Congress was a group that represented 13 British colonies in North America. The people who lived in the colonies were part of Great Britain, but they were not happy about the way the British government treated them. The people had to pay many taxes. They thought this was unfair because they did not have a say in the way they were ruled. The Declaration of Independence announced their decision to separate from Great Britain. The colonists had already started fighting against the British. After several more years of fighting, the war ended, and the United States was an independent country. How is the Fourth of July celebrated? Today the Fourth of July is celebrated in the United States with picnics, family gatherings, public festivals, and fireworks.