September 16, 2019

Last night, on September 15, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador opened Independence Day celebrations by ringing a special bell on the balcony of the National Palace in Mexico City and giving the rallying call of the Grito de Dolores (Cry of Dolores). The president’s grito included: “¡Viva México! ¡Viva la independencia! ¡Vivan los héroes!” (Long live Mexico! Long live independence! Long live the heroes!) The cry was first given in 1810 by the Mexican priest and revolutionary Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, who rang the same bell to gather an audience before calling for rebellion against Spanish rule, triggering the Mexican War of Independence (1810-1821). The date of Hidalgo’s cry, September 16, is celebrated as Independence Day (Día de la Independencia) in Mexico.

Fireworks illuminate Mexico city on September 16, Independence Day in Mexico. Credit: © David Arciga, Shutterstock

In 1807, during the Napoleonic Wars in Europe, French forces occupied Spain and spread confusion among Spain’s American colonies. Many people in Mexico—such as Father Hidalgo—saw this as an opportunity to achieve independence from Spain, a nation that had ruled Mexico (the heart of New Spain) since the early 1500′s. After years of growing unrest, the people of the town of Dolores (now Dolores Hidalgo in Guanajuato) were called to the local church by Hidalgo’s bell in the early hours of Sept. 16, 1810. Hidalgo then gave the Cry of Dolores and began the rebellion against Spanish rule.

Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, who first gave the Cry of Dolores in 1810, is known as “The Father of Mexican Independence.” Credit: Granger Collection

Hidalgo’s untrained followers armed themselves and attacked Spanish officials and those who supported the Spaniards. At first, Hidalgo gained support for his cause. But Hidalgo was eventually forced to retreat, and Spanish troops captured and executed him in 1811. José María Morelos y Pavón, another priest, continued Hidalgo’s struggle. In 1813, Morelos held a Congress that issued the first formal call for independence. The Congress wrote a constitution for a Mexican republic. Unlike Hidalgo, Morelos used ambush tactics against small, isolated Spanish military units. His campaign was more successful than Hidalgo’s, but in 1815 he too was captured and executed.

By 1816, Spanish troops had captured or killed many of the rebels, but small guerrilla groups continued to operate in the countryside. In an effort to recover from the cost of the Napoleonic Wars, Spain’s King Ferdinand VII heavily taxed the people of Mexico. The king also organized a large army to put down the remaining revolutionary elements. However, only a small portion of the Spanish forces in Mexico remained loyal to Spain, and the army eventually joined forces with the rebels. Spanish officials withdrew from Mexico, and the nation became independent on Sept. 28, 1821.

July 3, 2019

Tomorrow, July 4, people across the United States will celebrate the nation’s 243rd birthday, Independence Day. On July 4, 1776, delegates to the Second Continental Congress, meeting in Philadelphia, adopted the Declaration of Independence. The delegates represented the 13 British colonies, which had come to resent the ever-increasing taxes and restrictions that King George III sought to impose on them. In April 1775, British troops had clashed with colonial militia at Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts, in effect signaling the outbreak of the American Revolution. In July 1775, the colonists had sent a final petition to the king, declaring their loyalty to the British Crown and asking him to address their complaints. In reply, the king declared the colonies to be in rebellion.

The Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. Credit: Declaration of Independence(1817), oil on canvas by John Trumbull; Architect of the Capitol

The Declaration of Independence explained the reasons for the colonists’ rejection of British rule, detailed the ways in which the British government had violated American rights, and declared the freedom of the American colonies from Britain. It was written by Thomas Jefferson of Virginia, with some minor changes by Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania and John Adams of Massachusetts. The document begins with the stirring words, “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.”

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The Declaration of Independence is the document in which the American colonies declared their freedom from the United Kingdom. Credit: © Thinkstock

On July 4, 1776, John Hancock, president of the Second Continental Congress, and Charles Thomson, the Congress’s secretary, signed the declaration. Fifty-six other delegates signed a specially engrossed (written in script) copy one month or more later. In 1783, after years of bloodshed,  the Treaty of Paris officially ended the American Revolution. The treaty also recognized the independence of the United States and established the new nation’s borders–which were soon to expand.

As Americans celebrate their freedom tomorrow, the country is much changed. In 1783, about 3 million people lived in the colonies, most of them in rural areas. Today, some 334 million people call America home, and most of them live in cities, some of which are among the largest in the world. In 1783, the new nation stretched from the Atlantic Coast to the Mississippi River. By the mid-1800′s, the United States had grown to reach the Pacific Coast, and by 1898 Alaska and Hawaii were included as well.

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July 4, 2018

Today, the Fourth of July, is Independence Day in the United States. The day marks the nation’s birthday, July 4, 1776, when delegates to the Second Continental Congress, meeting in Philadelphia, adopted the Declaration of Independence. That day 242 years ago was a big one in U.S. history, but other important events have since taken place on July 4. Some events were intentionally planned to coincide with Independence Day, while others just happened to fall on the famous date. Either way, if something happens on July 4, it makes it just a bit easier to remember.

George Rogers Clark led a militia force of colonists against British troops and allied western Indian tribes during the American Revolution (1775-1783). Clark and his men captured the strategic Fort Kaskaskia in southern Illinois on July 4, 1778. Credit: © North Wind Picture Archives

On July 4, 1778, while the United States was still fighting British forces during the American Revolution, U.S. Lieutenant Colonel George Rogers Clark captured the Midwestern fort at Kaskaskia in what is now southern Illinois. Twenty-five years later, on July 4, 1803, the monumental—or should we say continental?—Louisiana Purchase was announced to the American people. Author Nathaniel Hawthorne was born a year later, on July 4, 1804.

On July 4, 1817, excavation began on the Erie Canal in Rome, New York. On July 4, 1826, songwriter Stephen Foster was born and famous Founding Fathers and former Presidents John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both died. “America” (“My Country ‘Tis of Thee”) was first sung at a Fourth of July celebration in 1831—the same day former President James Monroe died—and poet Walt Whitman fist published his famous Leaves of Grass on July 4, 1855.

On July 4, 1863, Confederate forces withdrew to Virginia after losing the Battle of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania. Credit: Detail of The Gettysburg Cyclorama of “Pickett’s Charge” (1884), a painting by Paul Philippoteaux; Gettysburg National Military Park, Gettysburg, PA (Walter B. Lane)

During the American Civil War, on July 4, 1863, the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia withdrew from Pennsylvania after losing the Battle of Gettysburg; and further west in Mississippi, the Union Army captured the important Confederate stronghold of Vicksburg. Future President Calvin Coolidge was born on July 4, 1872. Nine years later, on July 4, 1881, African American leader Booker T. Washington founded the historic Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. In 1910, black boxing champion Jack Johnson knocked out challenger Jim Jeffries on the Fourth of July.

Playwright Neil Simon was born on July 4, 1927. On July 4, 1939, Major League Baseball legend Lou Gehrig retired as the “luckiest man on the face of the earth” at Yankee Stadium in New York City. After Hawaii became a state in 1959, the 50-star U.S. flag first flew in Philadelphia on July 4, 1960. Twenty-six years later, in 1976, Fourth of July celebrations peaked during the nation’s bicentennial.

June 12, 2018

Today, June 12, is Independence Day in the Philippines. On June 12, 1898, 120 years ago today, Filipino leaders declared independence from Spain, which had ruled the Pacific Island nation since the 1500′s. Philippines Independence Day is celebrated throughout the Philippine Islands as well in Filipino communities around the world. For several years, the celebration was held on July 4—the day the Republic of the Philippines actually gained independence in 1946. In 1962, however, the Philippines government recognized the date of the 1898 declaration as Independence Day, and changed July 4 to Republic Day.

The flag of the Philippines dates back to the nation’s struggle for independence in the 1890’s. Credit: © Loveshop/Shutterstock

In the Philippines, government offices and many businesses are closed for Independence Day, and people enjoy the holiday by gathering with family and friends and attending concerts, fireworks shows, and parades. The Philippines flag is prominently displayed throughout the nation, and in Manila and other cities there are official readings of the 1898 document declaring Philippine independence. Readings are given both in the document’s original Spanish and in Tagalog, the primary language of the Philippines.

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In Tagalog, the primary language of the Philippines, Independence Day is known as Araw ng Kalayaan, or Day of Freedom. Credit: Republic of the Philippines

In the United States and Canada, countries that are home to millions of people of Filipino heritage, Philippines Independence Day is marked by celebrations and parades in such cities as Boston, Chicago, New York, San Francisco, Toronto, and Vancouver.

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Philippines
Credit: WORLD BOOK map

The story of Philippine independence is a complicated one. The 1898 declaration came at a chaotic period in Filipino history, a time when foreign powers—Spain and the United States—were fighting for control of the Philippine Islands. Philippines independence was not won in 1898, as the United States, which gained control of the islands from Spain, refused to recognize it.

Filipino rebels fought against U.S. rule in the Philippine-American War from 1899 to 1902, but American influence remained in the Philippines for many years. In 1935, the Philippines became an American commonwealth with its own elected government and constitution. The United States retained authority in such areas as foreign affairs and defense. After Filipinos and U.S. soldiers fought together against the Japanese during World War II (1939-1945), the Philippines at last gained complete independence on July 4, 1946—a date chosen to coincide with Independence Day in the United States.

August 14, 2017

The independence days of the south Asian nations of Pakistan (August 14) and India (August 15) take place this week. Parades, speeches, fireworks displays, and other public events will mark the occasion in both countries as they reflect on the 70 years that have passed since the partition (division) of the colony of British India in 1947.

To mark India’s independence day on August 15, the national flag illuminates the top of India Gate, a war memorial in New Delhi, the capital. Credit: © Rakesh Nayar, Shutterstock

The land that makes up what are now India and Pakistan came under British colonial rule in the 1800′s. British rule provided limited opportunities for Indians, and many Indians grew to resent the British. In 1885, a number of Indian lawyers and other professionals formed the Indian National Congress to promote the idea of Indian self-government. Members of this organization represented various religions and came from all parts of India. However, some Muslims believed the Indian National Congress was a Hindu organization aiming for Hindu rule. In 1906, Muslim leaders formed the All-India Muslim League to give Muslims a voice in political affairs. The Congress and the Muslim League both sought greater self-government, but disagreed over how to divide power fairly between Hindus and Muslims.

Children hold national flags and sing patriotic song during ceremonies marking Pakistan’s independence day on August 14 in Quetta, Pakistan. Credit: © Asianet-Pakistan/Shutterstock

Protests against British rule took place throughout India in the early 1900′s. Mohandas K. Gandhi, a leader in the independence movement, persuaded the Congress to adopt his program of nonviolent disobedience. This program asked Indians to boycott British goods, to refuse to pay taxes, and to stop using British schools, courts, and government services. The British agreed to grant Indians more influence in politics, but many people continued to campaign for independence.

The United Kingdom declared war on Germany in 1939. Because the British controlled India, the declaration also put India at war. This angered Indian leaders because they had not been consulted. The British promised that they would grant India independence after the war. In 1940, Muslim League leader Mohammad Ali Jinnah began to demand independence for India’s Muslim-majority northwestern and northeastern areas. Both the British government and the Indian National Congress rejected these demands.

After World War II ended in 1945, negotiations for independence resumed. The Congress and Muslim League could not settle their differences. The Muslim League held nationwide demonstrations on Aug. 16, 1946, calling for the establishment of a Muslim-majority nation to be called Pakistan, which means land of the pure in Urdu. Rioting broke out between Muslims and Hindus in Calcutta (now Kolkata), and later elsewhere in India.

In 1947, Indian and British leaders agreed to divide the country into India and Pakistan, as they saw no other way to end the violence between Hindus and Muslims. Pakistan became independent on August 14, and India became independent the following day. This did not end the violence between the region’s Hindus and Muslims, however. Rioting led to the deaths of about half a million people, and more than 10 million people became refugees as Hindus and Sikhs fled Pakistan for India, and Muslims in India fled to Pakistan. In the decades since partition, tensions between India and Pakistan have remained high.

July 14, 2017

Today, July 14, people in France celebrate what English-speaking people refer to as Bastille Day, a French national holiday similar to Independence Day. The holiday is a grand celebration throughout France, where public buildings and streets are decked out in the bleu-blanc-rouge—the blue-white-red of the tricolor, the French flag. In Paris, concerts, balls, and parades fill the city’s streets with people, and fireworks light up the nighttime sky. In France, Bastille Day is called the Fête Nationale (National Holiday) or simply le Quatorze Juillet (the Fourteenth of July).

A military parade moves down the famous Avenue des Champs-Élysées in Paris, France, on Bastille Day–le 14 Juillet. Credit: © DreamSlamStudio/Shutterstock

The French National Holiday is celebrated on July 14 for two reasons. The first and most famous reason is to honor the “storming of the Bastille.” On July 14, 1789, angry Parisians attacked and captured the Bastille fortress—a largely symbolic act early in the French Revolution. The second reason is to celebrate the first Fête de la Fédération (Federation Celebration) held on July 14, 1790. This celebration remembered the storming of the Bastille and marked the peaceful and successful “end” of the budding revolution. As history tells us, however, the revolution did not end there (it continued until 1799), nor was it peaceful. The holiday remained, however, and in 1880, the Fête de la Fédération became the Fête Nationale.

The French flag is called the tricolor and features three vertical stripes of blue, white, and red (left to right ). In 1789, King Louis XVI first used its three colors to represent France. Credit: © Dream Maker Software

In 1789, the Bastille fortress was used as a prison. Its capture symbolized the new spirit of freedom that swept through France and led to the establishment of a popular government. The storming of the Bastille has inspired a number of songs, pamphlets, and orations. The rallying cry tous à la Bastille! (everyone to the Bastille!) can still be heard on Paris streets during political demonstrations or public acts of defiance.

This painting shows the storming of the Bastille, a royal fortress in Paris, on July 14, 1789. The capture of the fortress was one of the key early events of the revolution. Today, July 14 is celebrated as Bastille Day, the great national holiday of France. Credit: The storming of the Bastille (c. 1800), oil on canvas by unknown artist, Carnavalet Museum, Paris (© Corbis Images)

In 1790, the Federation Celebration honored the events of the year before, and many people believed the initial shake up of the revolution would be enough to enact real change and keep the peace. Many thousands of people from Paris and other parts of France—revolutionaries and monarchists alike, as well as King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette—turned out for a huge party on the Champ de Mars (Field of Mars). At the time, the Champ de Mars was a military training ground; today it is a lovely park that includes the Eiffel Tower. Unfortunately, the good spirits and hopes of the Federation Celebration soon vanished. The revolution continued and a bloody period known as the Terreur (Terror) claimed thousands of lives, including those of the king and queen. Today, Bastille Day celebrations in Paris still center on the Champ de Mars.

July 4, 2017

Today, the Fourth of July, is Independence Day in the United States. The day marks the nation’s birthday, July 4, 1776, when delegates to the Second Continental Congress, meeting in Philadelphia, adopted the Declaration of Independence. That day 241 years ago was one of the biggest—if not the biggest—in U.S. history. What other days, given without a year, conjure up a concrete, unmistakably American event? Perhaps two—December 7 and September 11—but those days are not days of celebration. July 4, however, is a day of celebration, and Americans celebrate it in unique fashion with a full menu of picnics or cookouts and fireworks, with popular side dishes of baseball, fairs, parades, and parties. Somehow, history lessons are not often enough a part of the July 4 program. We will make up for that today, cover the history quickly, and still bring fireworks at the end.

People wave flags and cheer during an Independence Day (or Fourth of July) parade in the United States. Credit: © D. Hurst, Alamy Images

In 1776, the delegates of the Second Continental Congress represented the 13 British colonies, which had come to resent the ever-increasing taxes and restrictions that King George III sought to impose on them. In April 1775, British troops had clashed with colonial militia at Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts, in effect signaling the outbreak of the American Revolution. In July 1775, the colonists had sent a final petition to the king, declaring their loyalty to the British Crown and asking him to address their complaints. In reply, the king declared the colonies to be in rebellion.

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The Declaration of Independence was adopted 241 years ago today on July 4, 1776. Credit: © Thinkstock

The Declaration of Independence explained the reasons for the colonists’ rejection of British rule, detailed the ways in which the British government had violated American rights, and declared the freedom of the American colonies from Britain. It was written by Thomas Jefferson of Virginia, with some minor changes by Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania and John Adams of Massachusetts. The stirring words of the document—which proclaims “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”—came to inspire the people of many nations to pursue freedom from their own tyrants.

On July 4, 1776, John Hancock, president of the Second Continental Congress, and Charles Thomson, the Congress’s secretary, signed the Declaration. Fifty-six other delegates signed a specially engrossed (written in script) copy one month or more later. The American Revolution ended in 1783 when Britain recognized the independence of the United States.

And now, as promised, fireworks:

Independence Day fireworks light up the sky over New York City (as well as the waters of the Hudson River) on July 4, 2010. Credit: © Songquan Deng, Shutterstock

July 8, 2016

Tomorrow, July 9, Argentines will celebrate the 200th anniversary of the signing of their nation’s declaration of independence. President Mauricio Macri will lead Nueve de Julio (Ninth of July) ceremonies at the house in northwestern San Miguel de Tucumán where the signing took place on July 9, 1816. Other dignitaries scheduled to attend include former Spanish King Juan Carlos and leaders from several Latin American countries.

Representatives signed Argentina’s declaration of independence at the Congress of Tucumán on July 9, 1816. Credit: © Everett/Shutterstock

Earlier in the week, Argentine lawmakers and political leaders met at Tucumán to commemorate the bicentennial. Emilio Monzó, speaker of the lower house, called the gathering “an unprecedented event in the history of our country that representatives from the National Congress travel to the place where our country was born.” Senate leader Federico Pinedo, Tucumán Governor Juan Manzur, and Argentine Vice President Gabriela Michetti also attended the midweek commemoration.

The 1816 signing of the declaration of independence took place during a turbulent period in Argentina’s history—a period, in fact, before the nation was called Argentina. It was then known as the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata, and it covered only the current nation’s northern half above Patagonia. The declaration of independence also came six years after the formation of a government independent of Spain on May 25, 1810, in Buenos Aires. The area had been part of a Spanish colony since the late 1500’s.

After establishing self-rule in 1810, it took awhile to unite Buenos Aires with the various Argentine provinces. Eventually, provincial representatives met at the Congress of Tucumán on July 9, 1816, and declared their nation’s independence. The new nation had a rough go of it, however, suffering through a civil war and decades of dictatorship before the constitution of 1853 established a republic, which was renamed Argentina in 1860. The nation grew to include Patagonia in 1881.