The Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. Full text of Benjamin Franklin's 1787 Constitutional Convention Address.Spend 4th of July at the home of Founding Father Benjamin Franklin! Archivist of the United States Allen Weinstein will make the following remarks at the annual 4th of July ceremony on the Constitution Avenue We think of July 4, 1776, as a day that represents the Declaration of Independence and the birth of the United States of America as an independent nation. Benjamin Franklin offered his famous appeal for harmony and conciliation, an appeal for God's intervention. His solicitation seems almost out of character. The Ben Franklin Parkway was packed with thousands of people who celebrated Independence Day with a concert and a fireworks display. Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps 2012. The Fourth of Julyalso known as Independence Day or July 4thhas been a federal holiday in the United States since 1941.