"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal,
that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights,
that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."
-- Declaration of Independence
Let Freedom Ring, Ospreys! The Fourth of July (also known as Independence Day or July 4th) celebrates the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. By doing so, the Continental Congress officially declared that the thirteen American colonies were no longer subjects of Great Britain and were therefore united, free, and independent states: the United States of America. While it became a federal holiday in 1941, the Fourth of July has been celebrated since the American Revolution with fireworks, parades, gatherings of friends and family, and more.
This online display will be updated as resources become available. You are invited to email suggestions or recommendations.
Early American Newspapers offers several hundred thousand fully searchable issues from more than 250 significant 17th, 18th and 19th century newspapers from all 50 current states.
The Adams-Jefferson Letters: The Complete Correspondence Between Thomas Jefferson and Abigail and John Adams by 
American Honor: The Creation of the Nation's Ideals During the Revolutionary Era by 
The Annotated U. S. Constitution and Declaration of Independence by 
The Miracle of American Independence : Twenty Ways Things Could Have Turned Out Differently by 
Revolution Against Empire: Taxes, Politics, and the Origins of American Independence by 
Stripped and Script: Loyalist Women Writers of the American Revolution by 
