Don't miss the annual Fourth of July Parade, July 4th at 10am. The event begins downtown at 25th and Santa Fe Place; continues from Santa Fe Place to the Strand at 21st; continues 21st to Postoffice; then Postoffice to 24th; 24th to Sealy.

Following the parade there will be a 4th of July celebration at Sealy Pavilion (24th and Sealy) with patriotic entertainment, free hot dogs and lemonade, and free American flags for the children.

About July 4th...

Taxation without representation! That was the battle cry of the 13 colonies in America that were forced to pay taxes to England's King George III with no representation in Parliament. As dissatisfaction grew, British troops were sent in to quell any signs of rebellion, and repeated attempts by the colonists to resolve the crisis without war proved fruitless.

On June 11, 1776, the colonies' Second Continental Congress meeting in Philadelphia formed a committee with the express purpose of drafting a document that would formally sever their ties with Great Britain. The committee included Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Roger Sherman and Robert R. Livingston. The document was crafted by Jefferson, who was considered the strongest and most eloquent writer. (Nevertheless, a total of 86 changes were made to his draft.) The final version was officially adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4.

The following day, copies of the Declaration of Independence were distributed and, on July 6, The Pennsylvania Evening Post became the first newspaper to print the extraordinary document.

The Declaration of Independence has since become our nation's most cherished symbol of liberty.