50+ Lifestyles

July Events from History

By Eloise Graham

July 1776

By issuing the Declaration of Independence, adopted by the Continental Congress in July of 1776, the 13 American colonies severed their political connections to Great Britain. The Declaration summarized the colonists’ motivations for seeking independence. The Declaration was adopted on July 4, 1776, however, most of the delegates signed the document on July 2, 1776. The men that signed this paper risked losing everything they had if the British won the American Revolution. Some of the battles fought that summer were: Battle of Turtle Gut Inlet on June 29 in New Jersey, Battle of Gwynn’s Island July 8 – 10 in Virginia, Battle of Lindley’s Fort July 15 in South Carolina, Battle of Long Island August 27 in New York.

July 1876

Alexander Graham Bell received the patent for the telephone in the spring of 1876. Colorado Became the 38th state on August 1. Since 1876 was the year the United States celebrated it bicentennial, Colorado became known as the Centennial State. The Battle of Little Big Horn took place on June 25 – 26 of 1876. Another major event, the Hamburg Massacre, occurred. It began over free passage on a public road. The massacre was rooted in racial hatred and political motives. The riot happened in the town of Hamburg, South Carolina in July 1876, leading up to the last election season of the Reconstruction Era. It was the first of a series of civil disturbances planned and carried out by white Democrats in the majority-black Republican Edgefield District. The goal was to surprise black Americans’ civil and voting rights and disrupting Republican meetings.

July 1976

The United States celebrated its 200th birthday. Jimmy Carter was named as the Democratic nominee for President. Hank Aaron hit his 755th and final home run. Edwin Moses took gold in the 400 – meter hurdles at the Montreal Olympics. It was the optimum time for a celebration. The country was a year past the official end of the Vietnam War. It was the final airlifting of Americans and South Vietnamese from Saigon. On July 4, Israeli commandos storm Uganda’s Entebbe Airport, rescue 103 hostages and fly them back to Israel. July 21 of that year, the first color photos of Mars are shown. These pictures were taken the day after Viking 1’s successful landing on Mars.