On a hot and sticky evening in Philadelphia, July 2, 1776, after much debate and deliberation, the Continental Congress voted to declare independence from England. John Adams went to his room and wrote a letter to Abigale his wife, who was at home in Boston.
In his letter he wrote, “The second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable of epochs in the history of America. I am apt to believe it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forevermore.”