[originaltext] Independence Day is the national holiday of the United States

Independence Day is the national holiday of the United States of America commemorating the signing of the Declaration of Independence by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At the time of the signing, the US consisted of 13 colonies under the rule of England’s King George III.(9)There was growing unrest in the colonies concerning the taxes that had to be paid to England. This was commonly referred to as "Taxation without Representation" as the colonists did not have any representation in the English Parliament and had no say in what went on. As the unrest grew in the colonies, King George sent extra troops to help control any rebellion.(10)In April 1775, as the King’s troops advanced on Concord Massachusetts, Paul Revere would sound the alarm that "The British are coming, the British are coming" as he rode his horse through the late night streets. The battle of Concord and its "shot heard round the world" would mark the unofficial beginning of the colonies’ War for Independence. The following May the colonies again sent delegates to the Second Continental Congress. By June 1776 a committee was formed to compose a formal declaration of independence. Thomas Jefferson was chosen to write the first draft which was presented to the congress on June 28.(11)After various changes a vote was taken late in the afternoon of July 4. And although the signing of the Declaration was not completed until August, the 4th of July has been accepted as the official anniversary of the United States’ independence.
9. Why were the colonists dissatisfied with England?
10. When was the War of Independence declared unofficially?
11. What can we learn about the Declaration of Independence?