Why Is Independence Day An Important Part Of American Culture

Holidays are a key and fundamental part of American culture. Not all holidays celebrated in the United States are unique to the country; Christmas is celebrated in over 160 different countries and even Labor Day is celebrated in other countries such as Australia and Canada. However, there is one holiday which the United States is known for celebrating quite differently than other countries. Independence Day, celebrated on the Fourth of July annually in the United States, features several traditions and celebrations which are idiosyncratic to the rest of the world. People often say that Independence Day is just an excuse for Americans to drink liquor and shop for sales, and actually, that is partially true. The truth is, however, that liquor is
a “typical” American beverage.
All in all, Independence Day has evolved throughout the years. In recent times, Independence Day has become a day where people set aside all political affiliations and commemorate the very existence of the United States. Unfortunately, I predict that in the upcoming decades, Independence Day will instead become a day of the division of the people. To begin with, Independence Day has a very turbulent history; it wasn’t always a holiday in which everyone came together in patriotism. The holiday originates on July 2nd, 1776, when the Continental Congress signed the Declaration of Independence, now considered to be one of the most essential documents in American history. The document was the official decree of independence from Great Britain had the colonies won the Revolutionary War. As we know now, the colonies were ultimately victorious, and consequently earned their sovereignty. The copies of the document itself were not distributed to the American public until two days later, on July 4th, hence why the fourth became the Day of
Independence. The day soon became a day of protest though. After the Constitution was adopted in 1787, Anti-Federalists protested the terms of the Constitution on July 4th, 1788, by burning a copy of the Constitution. Furthermore, as the Abolitionist movement rose to fame, July 4th became a day to express the Abolitionists’ dissent towards slavery. Following the Union’s victory in the Civil War, and later the abolition of slavery, Independence Day became a day to celebrate their freedom. Meanwhile, Southerners who were part of the Confederacy refused to celebrate the day. All of these protests, and many more in history, are indicative of a pattern of protests held on the 4th of July. It wasn’t until the late 20th century and the start of the 21st century that Independence Day has become a day of unity and togetherness. However, with the recent spread of division over the 2016 Presidential Elections and eventually the election of Donald Trump, it can only get worse as time goes by. Regardless of which political party the next president is affiliated with, the next elections will be equally, if not more divisive than the last. In continuation, it is true that the true nature of the United States is protest. The very reason why this country exists as its own sovereign nation to begin with is because of protest. Jonathan Zimmerman, a University of Pennsylvania historian, says, “The entire nation was born in protest. The Declaration of Independence is a document of protest. It enumerates items of protest against King George, those two dozen bad things that England did.” Although this is true, the protests we are starting to witness nowadays are not in accordance with our First Amendment rights. In fact, they are quite in contrast with the First Amendment. Based on the recent sequence of events, future protests will only serve to expose the radicals, the wrongdoers. Radicalism is a bipartisan quality, and it is visible now more than ever before.