Katie Kawa - The Declaration of Independence Wasnt Signed on July 4th: Exposing Myths about Independence Day

Please visit our website, www.garethstevens.com. For a free color catalog of all our high-quality books, call toll free 1-800-542-2595 or fax 1-877-542-2596.

Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Kawa, Katie.

Title: The Declaration of Independence Wasnt Signed on July 4th: Exposing Myths About Independence Day / Katie Kawa.

Description: New York : Gareth Stevens, 2017. | Series: Exposed! myths about early American history | Includes index.

Identifiers: ISBN 9781482457209 (pbk.) | ISBN 9781482457223 (library bound) | ISBN 9781482457216 (6 pack) Subjects: LCSH: United States. Declaration of Independence--Juvenile literature. | United States--History-- Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775--Juvenile literature. | United States--History--Revolution, 1775-1783--Juvenile literature. | United States--Politics and government--1775-1783--Juvenile literature.

Classification: LCC E221.K39 2017 | DDC 973.313--dc23

First Edition

Published in 2017 by

Gareth Stevens Publishing

111 East 14th Street, Suite 349

New York, NY 10003

Copyright 2017 Gareth Stevens Publishing

Designer: Sarah Liddell

Editor: Therese Shea

Photo credits: Cover, pp. 1, 13 UniversalImagesGroup/Contributor/Universal Images Group/Getty Images; background texture used throughout IS MODE/Shutterstock.com; ripped newspaper used throughout STILLFX/ Shutterstock.com; photo corners used throughout Carolyn Franks/Shutterstock.com; p. 5 Dmytro Balkhovitin/ Shutterstock.com; p. 7 Comstock/Getty Images; p. 8 Howcheng/Wikimedia Commons; p. 9 ChrisnHouston/ Wikimedia Commons; p. 11 (main) Harpsichord246/Wikimedia Commons; p. 11 (Ben Franklin) Scewing/ Wikimedia Commons; p. 12 Crazytales/Wikimedia Commons; p. 14 Bjoern Wylezich/Shutterstock.com;

p. 15 (broadside) Ibn Battuta/Wikimedia Commons; p. 15 (printing press) Visions of America/Contributor/ Universal Images Group/Getty Images; p. 16 photo courtesy of the National Archives; p. 17 (Declaration of Independence) Mactographer/Wikimedia Commons; p. 17 (main) Hisham Ibrahim/Getty Images;

p. 19 Archive Photos/Stringer/Archive Photos/Getty Images; p. 21 DcoetzeeBot/Wikimedia Commons;

p. 23 f11photo/Shutterstock.com; p. 25 MPI/Stringer/Archive Photos/Getty Images; p. 27 (John Adams) R1bberlin/Wikimedia Commons; p. 27 (Thomas Jefferson) Lupo/Wikimedia Commons; p. 29 Lilac Mountain/ Shutterstock.com.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer.

Printed in the United States of America

CPSIA compliance information: Batch #CW17GS: For further information contact Gareth Stevens, New York, New York at 1-800-542-2595.

CONTENTS

Every year on July 4, Americans celebrate Independence Day. This holiday honors Americans declaring their independence from Great Britain, which is why many consider it Americas birthday.

However, did you know July 4 wasnt the day Americans first declared their independence? It also wasnt the day the Founding Fathers signed the Declaration of Independence, which is what many Americans believe. What really happened on July 4, and what other myths about Independence Day arent true? Read on to find out!

July 4, 1776, was an important day in American historybut not for the reasons some Americans believe.

THE FACTS ABOUT FIREWORKS

Independence Day is often celebrated with fireworks, but fi reworks were used in other countries long before they were used in America. The Chinese are believed to have invented fi reworks, and European rulers used them in celebrations as far back as the 1400s!

THE MYTH :
JULY 4, 1776, WAS THE DAY AMERICANS DECLARED THEIR INDEPENDENCE FROM GREAT BRITAIN.

THE FACTS:

On July 2, 1776, the Continental Congress voted for the American colonies to declare their independence from Britain. This was part of the Lee Resolution, a set of proposals made by Richard Henry Lee of Virginia.

It was 2 days later, on July 4, 1776, when the Continental Congress approved the wording of the Declaration of Independence. The document formally stated the reasons why America was breaking away from Britain.

Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was where members of the Continental Congress gathered to vote on both the Lee Resolution and the Declaration of Independence.

A THREE-PART PLAN

The Lee Resolution also called for a plan to form alliances, or good connections, with other countries and a plan to join the colonies under one government. The last part of the resolution led to the Articles of Confederation, which was the first plan of government for the new nation.

Thomas Jefferson (right) was in charge of writing the Declaration of Independence. He wrote it from June 11 to June 28, 1776, with help from John Adams (middle) and Benjamin Franklin (left), among others.

With the adoption of the Lee Resolution on July 2, 1776, America officially declared its independence. John Adams, who would become the second president of the United States, believed this would be the day Americans would remember. He wrote to his wife Abigail, The Second Day of July 1776... will be celebrated as the great anniversary Festival.

Instead, we observe the day the Continental Congress adopted the document that explained what it did 2 days before. Can you imagine celebrating the Second of July?

LEE RESOLUTION

THE MYTH :
THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE WAS SIGNED ON JULY 4.

THE FACTS :

Its commonly thought that the Declaration of Independence was signed the same day it was adopted. However, New York didnt even approve the Declaration of Independence until July 9!

According to official records, the Declaration of Independence was signed by most of the delegates of the Continental Congress on August 2, 1776. Some delegates signed even later than that. The names of the 56 signers werent shown to the public until January 1777.

Some think this painting by John Trumbull shows the signing of the Declaration of Independence. It actually shows the document being presented to the Continental Congress. Another myth is exposed!

THE OLDEST SIGNER

Benjamin Franklin was the oldest delegate to sign the Declaration of Independence. He was 70 years old when he signed the document.

THE MYTH :
GEORGE WASHINGTON SIGNED THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE.

THE FACTS :

When the Declaration of Independence was signed, George Washington was busy leading the Continental army. He was in New York with his troops. Although Washington would become a major player in Americas fight for freedom, he played no real part in the writing or signing of the Declaration of Independence.

The president of the Continental Congress at the time was John Hancock. He signed the document first. Its easy to spot his name because he wrote it so large!