Prompt Cast
The Real Date of American Independence: July 4th or April 19th?
TLDR The process of American independence was messy and took years, but a possible date to celebrate is April 19th, 1775, when the first battles of the Revolutionary War took place. However, July 4th, 1776, became the date of celebration because it was the date printed on the copies of the Declaration of Independence and the date that everyone got word of American independence.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
The podcast discusses the real date of American independence and questions whether it is actually July 4th, 1776.
02:12
The process of American independence was messy and took years, but a possible date to celebrate is April 19th, 1775, when the first battles of the Revolutionary War took place.
04:01
On July 2nd, 1776, the colonies voted for independence, but it was on July 4th that the Declaration of Independence was approved and became the explanation for their decision.
06:11
The date of July 4th became the date of celebration because it was the date printed on the copies of the Declaration of Independence, which was approved on that day, and it was the date that everyone got word of American independence.
08:04
On November 16th, 1776, the independent United States received its first recognition from a foreign power when the ship Andrew Doria received a 13-gun salute from the Dutch island of St. Eustatius, and on December 20th, 1777, the United States was formally recognized by Sultan Mohammed III of Morocco.
10:01
On October 19th, 1781, the British General Lord Cornwallis surrendered his forces in Yorktown, Virginia, marking the day that Americans truly became independent in a military sense.
12:01
On January 14th, 1784, the Continental Congress ratified the Treaty of Paris, officially ending the American Revolution and solidifying American independence.
