New York's Independence Day!
Let’s Celebrate New York’s Independence Day!
Most of us are pretty secure in the fact that July 4, 1776 is America’s Independence Day.
We get off school. We get off work. Movies are made about this day in history. 
We were taught the story. The Continental Congress adopts the Declaration of Independence, which proclaims the independence of the United States of America from Great Britain. So of course, naturally, we think of July 4, 1776, as a day that represents the birth of our country as an independent nation. Only one problem, July 4,1776 isn’t the day that the Continental Congress decided to declare independence. They actually did that on July 2, 1776. They debated about wording for 2 days.
And, did you know that New York has its own Independence Day? Hold on to your sparklers, according to the New-York Historical Society, it’s five days later: on July 9, 1776.
So what’s with those delays? Let’s set the scene: Philadelphia 1776: It’s July 2nd and the Continental Congress votes in favor of independence. It takes two more days for the Congress to debate wording and language. So, on July 4th delegates from the colonies adopt the Declaration of Independence, which proclaims the independence of the United States of America from Great Britain and King George. But, New York did not attend this gathering in Pennsylvania. According to the Historical Society of New York we abstained. So it took a few days for the ‘Declaration’ to get to General George Washington in New York City.
At that time, New York was the 2nd largest city in the colonies, filled with merchants, servants, slaves and free citizens. It’s said that you could see the British warships parked by what is now Staten Island, and so even back then the City was fraught with political tensions.
According to historians, when the Declaration of Independence was read aloud, clearly laying out the reasons for and the necessity of a permanent separation from Britain, it was received with riotous cheers and soon after, a rowdy crowd rushed to Bowling Green to dismantle the statue of King George. One New Yorker wrote in his pocket almanac, “…this fatal day independency declared by the Congress―rivers of blood will flow in consequence of it―no peace for many years”
New Yorkers never change. We love a good fight!
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