This weekend is the 250th anniversary of the birth of the United States of America. Much has been made about the Declaration of Independence. However, did you know that Independence Day would have been July 2, not July 4th, if one of the signers of the document had had his way?

John Adams was on a committee of five men who were tasked with producing the Declaration of Independence. Adams was from Massachusetts, where unrest with the British first took hold. He was an early proponent of severing ties with the British and creating a new country. Others in the Second Continental Congress were not as sure of that – at least not when the idea was first bantered about. On June 7, 1776, Henry Lee of Virginia put forth a resolution to break all ties with the British crown and declare independence. Four days later, the committee of five was assigned the task of writing out a Declaration of Independence. The five members of this committee were Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Robert Livingston, Roger Sherman and Adams.

On July 1, they presented the Declaration to the Congress and, after heated debate, it failed to pass. Then on July 2, Congress again met to debate the resolution. On the second vote, it passed. Adams wrote his wife, Abigail, that July 2 would be “…the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more.”

So how did July 4 get to be the official day of independence? There are two schools of thought on this. First, after the vote on July 2, the document was revised to reflect the changes made during the debate and was formally adopted by Congress on July 4. The second thought is more practical. The Declaration needed to be printed and distributed throughout the 13 Colonies to be posted in public places so the people would know what was happening. That took a couple of days. At the top of these printed versions – known as the Dunlap Broadsides – was the date of publication: July 4, 1776.

Of course, neither of these explanations appeased John Adams. He was resolute in his beliefs and stubborn to conform to someone else’s ideas. He celebrated Independence Day on July 2 instead of July 4.

So whether you are celebrating the 250th year of independence on July 2 or July 4, take in this special time and place in our history. Mark it with, as Adams put it, pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other. Happy 250 years!