July 4 - Birth of a Nation

A cold January wind whipped snow and sleet through the streets of Philadelphia. Inside Independence Hall, 56 men were poised to cast the die that would put them in future history books, either as hanged insurrectionists or as venerated heroes. The completed Declaration of Independence sat before them, awaiting their signatures.
John Adams rose and spoke.
"It is critical that we all understand the consequences of our actions at this moment. By signing our names to this document, we are entering into a covenant that could very well bring about the very demise of the fledgling democracy we wish to create, and in the process see us all hanged for treason. We must all enter into this agreement on our own free will, fully committed to the task at hand and cognizant of the consequences that shall be wrought in its wake."
The other signatories looked back at Adams, stone faced. Some of them nodded.
"Once we have signed this document, there is no going back. Is that understood?"
The men answered his question with looks of steely resolve. They understood.
"Then let us begin."
They moved toward the document, quills in hand.
"Wait," said one man.
"What is it, John?"
John Hancock leaned forward in his seat and fixed his gaze on Adams. "This is a moment of intense gravity. The ramifications of the action we are about to undertake will be felt for years, nay, centuries to come." The winds howled outside, rattling the windows. The candles flickered. "Future generations will look back on this moment as the birth of our nation."
"What are you driving at, Mr. Hancock?"
"Only this, sirs," he said, rising from his seat. "If this goes according to plan--if this document truly brings about the beginnings of a great new nation--it will be this moment that shall be remembered above all others. This is the day that will be commemorated and celebrated for all perpetuity."
The others nodded in assent.
"That being the case, I humbly propose that we wait until the weather is nicer before we sign it."
The other delegates murmured amongst themselves. Adams banged his gavel and they quieted down.
"What did you have in mind?" asked Thomas Jefferson.
"Sometime in July, perhaps," he said.
"Could I be so bold as to ask why, Mr. Hancock?"
He cleared his throat.
"Mr. Jefferson, Mr. Adams, fellow delegates: If this experiment in democracy works--No! When this bold step forward in self rule succeeds beyond all existing measures--the day that it is set in motion will be a cause for celebration for our sons and our sons' sons and all future generations of Americans for years to come."
The others nodded, seeing where he was going.
"And so I ask you this, gentlemen: Do we not owe our descendants the everlasting gift of national holidays every summer? Think of the barbecues they shall have. The trips to the beach. The parades. The concerts. The long weekends."
The nodding grew in enthusiasm.
"Mr. Jefferson, you have crafted a stunning document in this Declaration of Independence. And when the time comes, I shall proudly be the first to sign it. But I propose we wait until the weather is warmer, more agreeable. Say, July? What say you, gentlemen?"
The agreement was unanimous, and the document was put in a safe until exactly six months later. And that is why American Independence Day is celebrated on not the 4th of January, but the 4th of July.