American Independence Day

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Independence Day is celebrated in the USA on 4th July each year. For this reason, it is also known as the Fourth of July. It commemorates the United States' Congress's adoption of the Declaration of Independence on 4 July 1776.

Americans celebrate Independence with parades, parties, barbecues, fireworks and, of course, baseball. The whole event is an occasion of fun and lighthearted play. Although the date commemorates independence from Britain, no ill will is likely to be shown to a Brit daring to be present.

Even though the Declaration was adopted on this date, the American War of Independence (or American Revolutionary War) was still in full swing, finally coming to an end with the signing of the Treaty of Paris on 3 September 1783, and the last British troops didn't leave New York until 25 November of that year.

The War of Independence started in 1775 and ended in 1783, but there were several military skirmishes not included under this title in the eight years leading up to it, starting with the occupation of Boston by the British miliary in October 1768.

On 5 March 1770, the Boston Massacre took place, immortalised by Paul Revere (see below). The killing of five American civilians by British troops was one of the events which led directly to the War of Independence some five years later.

Another event of great importance in the lead up to the War was the Boston Tea Party on 16 December 1773, when the entire tea shipment from the holds of the British ships HMS Dartmouth, Beaver and Eleanour were tipped into the sea by longshoremen disguised as Mohawk Indians. Around 45 tons of tea were disposed of in this way by the self-styled "Sons of Liberty", although no other damage was caused apart from a broken padlock, which was anonymously replaced shortly afterwards.