The Fourth of July is celebrated as Independence Day, in honor of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776. It is considered to be the birthday of the United States of America, and is celebrated with parades, fireworks, speeches, patriotic music and the American flag.

Celebrating the Fourth

• Fourth of July is Independence Day — A collection of facts, features, historic images and other Independence Day resources from the federal government’s USA.gov website.
• Boston’s Fourth of July — This is the official site for Boston’s Fourth of July celebration.
• A Capitol Fourth : American’s Independence Day — Test your knowledge, create your own online fireworks display, and reflect on the meaning of the holiday at this PBS website
• Independence Day on the Net — The Holidays.net Independence Day site also includes sound, graphics and historical background.

Reading about the Holiday

• Fourth of July for Kids — Three Cheers for the Red White and Blue! July 4 is Independence Day, the birthday of the United States of America! Celebrate with this list of picture books about the Fourth of July, and kids’ books that explain how and why we celebrate this holiday!

The Declaration of Independence

• The Declaration of Independence — From the Avalon Project at Yale University
• The Declaration of Independence — From the Early America website
• Documents from the Continental Congress and Constitutional Convention, 1774-1789 — From the American Memory project of the Library of Congress
• The Declaration of Independence — From the History Channel

The United States Flag

• U.S. Flag Home Page — The U.S. Flag Home Page has graphics and text on all aspects of flag history and etiquette, including and account of the events surrounding the writing of the national anthem by Francis Scott Key and the story of Old Glory

Patriotic Music

• The Star Spangled Banner — The words to the National Anthem
• America the Beautiful — Words to the famous song by Katherine Lee Bates
• America (My Country ‘Tis of Thee) — Words to the patriotic favorite by Reverend Samuel Francis Smith

Fourth of July Crafts and Activities

• Activities and Crafts for July 4th — Fourth of July crafts and activities from enchantedlearning.com
• 4th of July Parties & Games — Recipes, games and crafts for your Fourth of July festivities.
• General USA and Fourth of July Section — Coloring pages, crafts, e-cards, and more from DTLK

Recipes

• July 4th — Barbecue ideas and more from the Allrecipes website
• Fourth of July — Recipes, features and videos from the Food Network
• Fourth of July Recipes — Recipes and ideas from the Epicurious website

Holiday Health and Safety

• 11 Tips for a Safe Fourth of July — Safety tips for a healthy holiday from MedicineNet.com
• The National Council on Fireworks Safety — “Educating the Public About the Safe and Responsible Use of Consumer Fireworks”
• Fireworks Safety — Important safety information from the KidsHealth website
• Fourth of July Safety Tips — Holiday safety information for pets from the ASPCA