By Forum Staff
City Councilwoman Joann Ariola (R-Ozone Park) on Thursday introduced a resolution to designate July 2 annually in the Big Apple as “Freedom Day” to commemorate the anniversary of the vote of the Second Continental Congress to declare independence from Great Britain in 1776.
Courtesy of John Trumbull
Members of Second Continental Congress present the Declaration of Independence.
Ariola addressed her colleagues regarding the resolution during Thursday’s stated meeting:
“Two hundred and forty-nine years ago, on July 2, 1776, in a sweltering chamber in Philadelphia, the members of the Second Continental Congress took a vote that changed the world forever. On that day, not July 4th as so many believe, the Founding Fathers declared that the thirteen American colonies were henceforth free and independent states, and would no longer be a part of the British Empire. John Adams himself wrote that July 2 would be celebrated for generations as “the great anniversary festival” of our freedom. Yet over time, that date faded from public memory, and was replaced in our minds by the day the Declaration’s final text was approved–July 4. But history matters, and it is important that future generations remember the day the most critical vote in American history occurred. That is why I’m introducing a resolution to designate July 2 as ‘Freedom Day’ in New York City. This new day will not replace the 4th of July, but instead it will deepen its meaning. It will ensure that every New Yorker knows when our independence was truly declared, and honor the courageous vote that gave birth to our nation.”
