Happy 4th of July!

What does 4th of July mean to you?  Fireworks, bbq, family time, watermelon, cold drinks, popsicles, parades, festiviites, the list goes on.  Most people get wrapped up in finding the perfect fireworks show or grilling the perfect burger and forget the meaning and importance of this day.  

In June 1776, each of the 13 colonies, who were all fighting in the Revolutionary War, decided they wanted to declare their independence from Great Britain.  The Continental Congress voted in favor of declaring indepence from Great Britain on July 2, 1776 and then the Declaration of Independence, which was drafted by Thomas Jefferson, was signed by the delegates of the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776.  

In 1774, Great Britain started imposing taxes on the colonies that the colonies felt unfair as they had no colonial representation in Parliament.  Great Britain was taxing them because they were in huge debt due to the French and Indian War, which ended in 1763, that they said they fought to benefit the colonists by defending them from the powerful French in Canada.  The colonists saw it as a war fought for Great Britain's own benefit, so they would get stronger and wealthier.  

The colonists ultimately stopped paying the high taxes and the war broke out in April, 1775.  On July 4, 1776, the 13 colonies became The United States of America, and we have gone on to live in a country of freedom and liberty for all. We are one of the most ethically diverse, multicultural nations in the world.  We are the world's foremost military and economic power, a country with less poverty and sickness than most, a country where anyone can become anything they choose to work hard to become. 

We wish you a happy and safe 4th of July from Educational Outfitters of Phoenix!

(Educational Outfitters is located at 1628 E Southern Ave, Tempe, AZ  85282, or call us at 480-429-5136)