Barbeque, homemade ice cream, and fireworks are just a few of the things we see this time of year in Alabama. While Independence Day was officially nearly two weeks ago, flags and other red, white, and blue decorations dominate the month of July. While grandma's special barbeque sauce and Roman candles seem to rule the day, the history behind the holiday is important to remember.

Independence Day is often referred to as the Fourth of July. This federal holiday is the official national holiday of the United States.

Most people are unaware that the actual legal separation of the Thirteen Colonies from Great Britain actually occurred on July 2, 1776. This date is when the Second Continental Congress voted in a closed session to approve a resolution of independence.

This resolution had been proposed in June by Richard Henry Lee of Virginia. On June 10, 1776 the delegates of the Second Continental Congress decided to postpone a vote on Lee's resolution until July 1. The approval, on July 2, 1776, of this resolution declared the United States independent from Great Britain. The Declaration of Independence was actually signed on July 4, 1776 and that is the date that has been celebrated for over two hundred years.

It took two days for Congress to debate and revise the wording of the proposed Declaration. Thomas Jefferson was its principal author but a Committee of Five actually drafted the Declaration. The Committee of Five was made up of John Adams of Massachusetts, Roger Sherman of Connecticut, Robert Livingston of New York, Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania, and Thomas Jefferson of Virginia. The committee decided that Thomas Jefferson would write the first draft, although they all had a chance to made changes and additions to the document.

It was almost 100 years later, in 1870, that Congress made Independence Day an unpaid holiday for federal employees. In 1938, Congress changed it to a paid holiday for its employees.

On an interesting side note, many historians believe that the Declaration of Independence may have not been signed by all the delegates until August 1776.

Regardless of when the Declaration was signed, the U.S. continues to celebrate the birth of this nation every Fourth of July. The fireworks, food, and decorations show that the U.S. is proud of its heritage and is still proud to show the world that pride in abundance.

Another interesting fact is that the only signers of the Declaration of Independence to later serve as presidents of the United States were John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. Both of these founding fathers also died on the same day, July 4, 1826.

Next year as you are waving sparklers through the air, take a moment to think of those who came before us so that we might have the freedom to celebrate our country's birth on such a grand scale.