On July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence.
The document declared the 13 colonies an independent nation from Great Britain. Though the Revolutionary War would drag on for seven more years, the Fourth of July is celebrated as the birth of the United States. Next year will mark its 250th anniversary.
Freedom — and who holds it — has looked different throughout U.S. history. NPR wanted to know how freedom is on your mind as the nation celebrates its independence. More than 300 readers and listeners wrote to us. Some celebrated the freedoms and ideals they believe the U.S. stands for, while others said they feel freedoms are being curtailed…