The United States Congress made July 4 a federal holiday in 1870, later central to America250.
Independence Day had been celebrated locally and nationally since the Revolutionary era, but federal recognition came decades after the Declaration. Congress included July 4 among holidays for federal employees in legislation enacted in 1870. At first, the holiday applied primarily to the federal workforce in the District of Columbia and federal offices.
The date later became more broadly established as a paid federal holiday. In 1941, Congress extended paid holiday benefits to federal employees nationwide. Independence Day is now observed on July 4, or on a nearby weekday when the date falls on a weekend for federal scheduling.
The holiday commemorates Congress’s adoption of the Declaration in 1776, not the later signing date of the parchment copy. America250 uses the anniversary to connect the annual holiday with the 250th anniversary of the Declaration’s adoption and the nation’s founding story.