July 4th, also known as Independence Day, is a federal holiday in the United States that commemorates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. This day marks the formal declaration by the Second Continental Congress of the thirteen American colonies’ separation from Great Britain. It is a day of celebration, patriotism, and remembrance of the birth of the United States as an independent nation.
The “Star-Spangled Banner,” which later became the U.S. national anthem, is directly tied to the War of 1812. During the Battle of Baltimore in September 1814, Francis Scott Key witnessed the British bombardment of Fort McHenry. The sight of the American flag still flying over the fort after the battle inspired him to write the poem “Defence of Fort M’Henry,” which was later set to music and became “The Star-Spangled Banner,”