1. Virginia was the birthplace of four of America’s first five presidents at the time of the first Independence Day celebrations in 1776: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and James Monroe.
2. The first Independence Day celebrations in Virginia took place in Williamsburg on July 4, 1777, when the city’s Virginia Gazette newspaper reported that “Being the Anniversary of the Day on which the BIRTH of AMERICAN INDEPENDENCY was announced to the World…were celebrated in this City with a Joy that surpassed description.”
3. In 1781, July 4 took on special significance for Virginia during the Revolutionary War, as it was the day that General George Washington and the Continental Army received crucial support from French troops in the battle against the British at Yorktown.
4. One of the most significant July 4 celebrations in Virginia occurred in 1826, when both Thomas Jefferson and John Adams died on the same day: July 4, exactly 50 years after they both signed the Declaration of Independence.
5. The oldest continuous Independence Day parade in Virginia takes place in Fairfax, where marching bands, floats, and community groups have celebrated the holiday every year since 1967.
5 Fun Facts About July 4 In Virginia History
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