The 4th of July is the national holiday of the United States that celebrates the signing of the Declaration of Indepence on July 4, 1776 by the Continental Congress in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
When the Declaration was signed, the United States consisted of 13 colonies, all under the rule of King George III. The colonists didn't like the fact that taxes had to be paid to England without benefit of any representation in England's Parliament, known as tacation without representation. Troops were sent from England to control the unrest. In 1774, the First Continental Congress was formed by the colonists.
In April of 1775, the king's soldiers began to advance upon Concord, Massachusetts and this marked the unoffical beginning of the colonist's quest for independence.
In May of 1776, the colonists sent delegates to the Second Continental Congress, trying to resolve issues without war. By June of 1776, it became apparent that their efforts were fruitless and a committee was established to create a declaration of independence, written by Thomas Jefferson. The first draft was presented on June 28, 1776, and revised. On the 4th of July, a vote was taken on the revised draft. 9 colonies voted in favor of the declaration, 2 voted no, 1 was undecided and 1 did not vote.
Although the signing was not completed until August, the 4th of July has been recognized as the official date of United States independence.