America Celebrates Independence Day
Across the United States Saturday, Americans celebrated the 239th anniversary of their country’s independence from Britain with parades, picnics, fireworks and concerts.
President Barack Obama wished all Americans a Happy Fourth of July in his weekly address.
The date also marks the 17th birthday of his elder daughter, Malia.
The Obamas are hosting a “backyard barbecue” at the White House Saturday for several hundred members of the military and their families.
Naturalization ceremonies
Meanwhile, a naturalization ceremony for 100 new citizens with a keynote address from CIA Director John Brennan will be held at Mount Vernon, the Virginia estate of George Washington, America’s first president. Re-enactors portraying Washington and his wife Martha will also be present at the site.
There will be a concert and fireworks on the National Mall Saturday night. The concert will feature Barry Manilow, Alabama, KC and the Sunshine Band, Nicole Scherzinger, the Irish tenor Ronan Tynan and the National Symphony Orchestra.
On July 4, 1776, representatives of the 13 American colonies officially adopted the Declaration of Independence announcing the severing of ties with Britain.
The war for independence had already begun the previous year, and would last until the Treaty of Paris in 1783, formally recognizing sovereignty for the United States of America.
Although the Declaration of Independence states, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
Signers
The document was drafted by a slave owner, Thomas Jefferson, who later became the third U.S. president.
Jefferson was not the only slave owner to sign the document.
About one-third of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, from both the North and the South, owned or had owned slaves. Washington owned over 100.
John Adams – the second president and Washington’s vice president – was vehemently opposed to slavery.
The issue was not settled until the Civil War ended nearly 80 years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Heightened security
Law enforcement officials across the United States are boosting security for Independence Day events, after security agencies warned about potential terrorist threats timed to the July 4 holiday.
The Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Bureau of Investigation issued an alert earlier this week, calling for local authorities and the public to remain vigilant for possible threats following recent calls for violence by the Islamic State group during Ramadan. (VOA)