One Founding Father reportedly refused to celebrate Independence Day

cultureJul 5, 2026802,636

John Adams refused to celebrate July 4 because he believed the true date of American independence was July 2, when the Continental Congress voted for the resolution of independence. Fifty-six delegates met in the Assembly Room of the Pennsylvania State House in Philadelphia on July 2, 1776; Thomas Jefferson’s Declaration was formally adopted two days later on July 4. Adams wrote to his wife Abigail on July 3, 1776, calling July 2 "the most memorable Epocha" and predicting it would be commemorated "forward forever more" with "Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations." Historian Kenneth C. Davis told CBS News that Adams never celebrated the Fourth and "stood his ground" even as other founders accepted July 4 as the holiday. The detail about Adams’s preference has resurfaced during the nation’s 250th anniversary as readers and historians revisit which date the founders themselves regarded as the moment of independence.

LA Blue Dot in GA 🌊🐸

@namwella1961.bsky.social

Hearty Soul: YouGov polled Americans ahead of Independence Day and asked: “Looking back across 250 years of American life, who is the worst person this country has produced?” Trump finished first, ahead of nine other people. Glad to see Trump finally won something. #ProudBlue #Pinks #SheShed

19844d ago

Lilith’s Karmic Revenge5

This man is being compared to Nero, I’m pretty sure he’s the most loathesom person in history! But what about Htlr?you say. Give him time! He’s already the largest investor in #GeoGroup, his very own concentration camps.

Nationalize America Party1

I bet Stalin fucked kids too.

Nimue Niem1

A well deserved win 🏆

Todd Last Name......1

I can't wait until he leaves.

Bo Thompson

@gaudipern.bsky.social

The last thing I'll add -- Paine was DESPISED by other Founding Fathers for his radical progressivism, and excluded from input at the constitutional conferences. When he finally saw the declaration he opposed it as too rigid and classist. 17 of the first 20 amendments ended up matching his opinions.

22245d ago

Bo Thompson82

And eight of those? Were passed over the next 130 years after he DIED. The man correctly judged social issues *a century in advance of his peers*.

Wandering Hoo6

And let's be clear. The 11th *is* kinda bullshit. Sovereign immunity is bad.

Lizard3

"Thomas Paine-in-my-ass" was, I'm sure, how he was referred to by some. :) (It's well worth noting the Founders weren't some unified block. They were deeply divided and many personally hated each other. They just hated King George III more, often for different reasons.)

Esheru

@esherukweku.bsky.social

This is probably the most powerful photo from the July 4th, Independence Day, 250th year anniversary celebrations. This is the United States 2026.

18245d ago

jelifishfach.bsky.social25

As a woman this would be terrifying to me , but as a black woman in the midst of a white nationalist journey I cannot even begin to imagine what was going through her mind . This is vile .

NatureRulesUs 🏳️‍🌈 🏳️‍⚧️11

Yes! And in case you're wondering:

Kate Vasey9

Yeah, that pic will appear in the history books our grandchildren write.

das Buell 🐈‍⬛8

Cowards, all. All masked up to avoid identification.

Liz7

If they're so tough, how come they are masked? Answer... They're pathetic weak bigoted hateful people. Losers!

Mike here, hello6

She is far stronger than all of those ‘patriots’ combined.

Quoting this

Esheru33

Independence Day 2026, 250 years on. @washingtonpost.com @nytimes.com @us.theguardian.com its organisations like yours, that stay silent on white supremacist groups like Patriot Front, while over reporting negative stories about Muslims and Black people, as to why this is happening.

dixonpuetafem.bsky.social10

Oh yes. Makes you hold your breath with her.

Hannes Jansson2

Detta och ett 90 minuters telefonsamtal med Putin.

Gwen Snyder is uncivil

@gwensnyder.bsky.social

I am so tired of getting fed this made up religious Founding Father quotes by people like noted Christian nationalist *squints* Chuck Schumer

20544d ago

The Grackle King28

we're in a weird-ass time when it's possible to fact check things on the spot without needing a ton of expertise, and society decided to just be cool with people making shit up

Susan Kaye Quinn is Writing Solarpunk 🌞🌱5

did he just ask chatGPT?

truerg.bsky.social1

The Baileys told him over Sunday dinner.

Quoting this

Gwen Snyder is uncivil155

No joke it is actually straight up eerie to watch Dem leadership strive so hard to find a compromise center that they manage to trip over the cliff into doing actual far right discourse

Eye Of The Idol

@eyeoftheidol.bsky.social

This is what I’m going to take away from yesterday‘s 250th birthday of our country. Fuck you Donald Trump and your white nationalist cult for making an Independence Day nazi march on our nations capital a reality!

15744d ago

Maryanne Knight5

A portrait of one brave woman surrounded by a sea of cowards

Salty Veruca4

This is a Pulitzer-worthy photograph if I ever saw one.

Hedy Lamarr Stands with Ukraine🌻🌻🌻1

It seems like there's a lot more of those brown pants-idiots-they can't even get the wardrobe right-it should be brown shirts! A shit ton of us need to tackle them, pull their masks down & get pics & name & shame them! @tizzyent.bsky.social

Deborah Weeks/A Woman for An Eternity

@deborah-10.bsky.social

The founder’s were NOT christians!!! There were atheists, Unitarian, Universalist, deists and other nonchristian people represented by our founding fathers. Please QUIT referring to every founding father as a member of one type of religion. They represented many beliefs. Franklin worshiped the sun.

17145d ago

Deborah Weeks/A Woman for An Eternity15

Their three specific things that they never wanted for the new nation were: —- A pledge of allegiance to the nation —- A specific song celebrating the sovereign. —- Prayers for any denomination said at any government meeting, ceremony or gathering.

Geoff Ames5

And frankly, most were slaveholders... so, certainly not saints.

bookworm4715.bsky.social4

Historical ignorance in America is mind boggling. MAGA fills the void with historical slop/lies.

dotshit.bsky.social2

They were also masonic with the compass and square

CalmlyPanicking1

Thanks to your post I looked up Benjamin Franklin, apparently he was a deist. The more I read about him, the more I like the guy!

Barbm368🇨🇦🙏1

Thank you for pointing that out! I had read that before and this is a part of history that must not be forgotten.

Timothy Burke

@bubbaprog.xyz

heard some canuck was talking shit about our nation's values? i'll have you know I spent my Independence Day much like some dudes in Philadelphia did 250 years ago: arguing sometimes bitterly about how to improve our country with people i love but also kind of can't stand that's us

15845d ago

drazden

@drazden.bsky.social

The "slavery was a product of its time" defense of the founding fathers absolutely crumbles (and for various reasons) when you learn that one of them was frequently publically shaming the rest of them for allowing it and they more or less excommunicated him from the country

9345d ago

𝐦𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐤𝐨 & 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧

@quietblkgrl.blacksky.app

July 3rd is actually the day Tina Turner got her freedom from Ike Turner so that is some independence to celebrate round July 4th. Blast some Tina Turner

7344d ago

Kelsey Atherton

@atherton.bsky.social

Ben Franklin easily the founding father most likely to have been banned from DeviantArt

8545d ago

Andrew Nelson19

His Patreon fees alone would stabilize whole artistic fields though

weaselproof2

What would poor Richard's fursona be

Matthew Reichbach2

Shopping my script of "Ben Franklin: Time Traveling Sex Freak" right now.

taryn1

he liked elfwood better for the lack of content moderation

Ryan Grim

@ryangrim.bsky.social

Harold Meyerson flags that founding father Benjamin Franklin made a persuasive argument for the wealth tax, in a letter to Robert Morris, then the richest man in America & the financier of the revolution. His basic argument: Public laws and society made you rich, so the public can decide what to...

6545d ago

Ida B Wells' Winchester Rifle

@dytsras.bsky.social

Going back to at least 1827, when New York abolished slavery, Black Americans celebrated Independence Day on the 5th of July in protest to the ongoing institution of slavery. It was famously culminated by a speech given by Frederick Douglass in New York in 1852

"What To The Slave Is The Fourth Of July?" speech by Frederick Douglass in Rochester New York on July 5, 1852

6044d ago

Andrew Weinstein

@andrewjweinstein.com

I wrote an essay about how everyday life became politicized, how Donald Trump intensified that trend, and why it's harder to find places that feel genuinely American in the inclusive sense. If you're reflecting on what Independence Day meant this year, I hope you'll read it, and share your thoughts.

4944d ago

SavingGraces4

A guy at my dog park sat down next to me.His first words were “Thank God we closed the borders. Damn Illegals ruining our country”. He’s retired.What could they have possibly done to him personally? The fireworks last night were illegal but he wanted ME to call the cops, but not him. See the trend?

sp-fxx.bsky.social1

It’s difficult when the opposing tribe’s entire thing is greed, hatred, bigotry and intolerance. Not to mention blind allegiance to a corrupt clown hell bent on ending our democracy.

stim possible

@jessespector.com

to end independence day weekend remember the reason for the season FUCK A KING AND FUCK ENGLAND

6344d ago

Ranch Devereaux

@thejacko.bsky.social

And on the 5th of July the founding fathers rested because they had snorted far too much cocaine and k off the Declaration of Independence the day prior

7144d ago

Ranch Devereaux26

This is true. You think that powder was from THEIR WIGS?! Oh sweet summer child