Welcome to History's Not Boring by Kidopoly.com. I'm Mira. And I'm Finn. Before we jump into history, we want to say a massive hello to Thomas, who is nine, and Charles, who is four. They listen to us every single morning on their way to school in Ireland. Top of the morning to you both. We also have a very special listener request from Eva Shanley, who is eight, in Superior, Colorado. And she listens with her brother Finn, who shares my awesome name. Hi Finn! The absolute coolest part is that today is Eva's actual birthday. Happy birthday, Eva! Happy birthday! Wait, Eva's birthday is July 4th. Does that mean she gets massive fireworks for her birthday? She sure does. Which makes this the perfect time to talk about the loudest, brightest birthday party on Earth. American Independence Day! Oh wow, I love fireworks. How many go off today? Tonight, over 16,000 firework displays will explode across America. It takes about 260 million pounds of fireworks to light up the sky. 260 million pounds? That's as heavy as nearly a thousand blue whales! Exactly! But the craziest part, this massive countrywide party started because of one single piece of paper written in a hot, sweaty room exactly 250 years ago this week. Exactly 250 years ago? That's a huge anniversary. Wait, a piece of paper? How did a piece of paper turn into 16,000 firework displays? That sounds like magic. To answer that, we have to travel back in time, to the year 1776. Back then, there was no United States of America, just 13 individual American colonies. Who was in charge if there was no president? They were ruled by Great Britain, specifically by King George III. But he lived over 3,000 miles away across the Atlantic Ocean. 3,000 miles? If he was that far away, how did he rule them? It must have taken weeks just to send a letter. It took a month or more by ship. And the king kept making incredibly strict rules and demanding unfair tax money from the colonists. Taxes? Like paying extra money for stuff. Exactly. Imagine having to pay the king extra money every single time you bought a newspaper, a calendar, or even a cup of tea. The colonists were furious. That's totally unfair. Did they just tell the king to stop? They tried, but when he wouldn't listen, things got violent. By the summer of 1776, the colonists and the British Army had already been fighting a real war for over a year. Whoa, they were already fighting! I thought the paper started the war. Nope. It started in April 1775, with the battles of Lexington and Concord. There were only about two and a half million people living in the colonies then. Two and a half million? Is that a lot? Not really. That's less than the population of Chicago today. But they were bravely taking on the most powerful army in the whole world. So where did they meet to write this magical piece of paper? A secret underground fort? Not a fort. Leaders from all 13 colonies travelled on horseback and carriages to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They met in a grand brick building with a tall white steeple. What's it called? Back then it was the Pennsylvania State House. Today we call it Independence Hall. And inside, they had to make the biggest decision of their lives. That sounds like a terrifying choice. If they break away, wouldn't King George be furious? Exactly. If they declared independence and lost the war, King George would have them all arrested for treason. But fifty-six men still gathered in that room to make it official. Who were they? Were they all soldiers? Not at all. There were farmers, lawyers, and even an inventor, Benjamin Franklin. The oldest was 70, and the youngest was just 26. And they were going up against the king's massive army of nearly 50,000 professional soldiers. Wow, 56 guys in one room in the middle of July. It must have been boiling in there. It was incredibly hot. We know exactly how hot, because Thomas Jefferson bought a special thermometer. He recorded that it was 76 degrees at one o'clock in the afternoon. 76 degrees doesn't sound too bad. I play outside when it's way hotter than that. True, but they had to keep the tall windows completely open to get some air. Open? But weren't they afraid that spies were listening in on their secret plans? They were. But because the windows were open, giant biting horseflies from a stable next door swarmed the room. They sat in their heavy wool coats, getting bitten, which made them hurry up and finish their work. Gross, sweaty woolen horseflies! So what did they actually do in that room? Thomas Jefferson drafted a letter to the world. He spent 17 days writing it. It was about 1,320 words long. We now call it the Declaration of Independence. 1,320 words. I've written longer book reports for school. It was short, but it changed the world. Finally, on July 4th, 1776, they agreed to the wording. They were officially telling the king that the 13 colonies were free. So they finally agreed on July 4th. Did they celebrate with fireworks right then and there? No fireworks just yet. A printer worked overnight to make copies. They read it publicly on July 8th, but the 56 men didn't sign the official parchment until August 2nd. How did the regular people react? Were they cheering? They went absolutely bananas. Church bells rang out all across Philadelphia. A man named John Nixon read it from a wooden platform and the crowd roared. Did the king hear them cheering all the way in England? Not quite, but they definitely sent a message. In New York, soldiers literally pulled down a massive, two-ton lead statue of King George sitting on a horse. They melted it down to make 42,000 musket balls for the army. Whoa! They turned the king's statue into ammo. So did the letter end the war? No. The war raged on for seven more brutal years. But exactly one year later, on July 4, 1777, the people threw the very first Independence Day party. A party during a war? Did they have cake? Even better! In Philadelphia, ships lined up in the Delaware River and fired 13 massive cannon salutes, one for each colony. It was so loud it shook the ground. 13 cannons going boom! What else did they do? They had grand feasts, bonfires lighting up the night, and yes, fireworks. They actually borrowed the idea of fireworks from Chinese tradition, where they were invented a thousand years earlier. Watching fireworks while a war is still happening. That is so brave. So the first party was in 1777. But did they keep celebrating every year? They did. It became a way to boost their spirits. Eventually, America won the war in 1783, and that 1,320-word document became the foundation of a brand new, independent nation. And the parties just kept getting bigger and louder. Oh yeah. Over the next hundred years, July 4th turned into America's ultimate birthday bash. Towns started having massive parades, giant picnics, and playing baseball. I love a good picnic. What kind of food did they eat? Well, food became a huge part of it. Did you know that today, Americans eat about 150 million hot dogs on the 4th of July alone? 150 million? If you laid them end to end, they could probably stretch across the whole country. You're actually right. They could stretch from Los Angeles to Washington DC more than five times. And speaking of crazy facts, remember the two men who helped write the declaration? Thomas Jefferson and John Adams? Yeah, the guys from the sweaty room. Well, exactly 50 years after the Declaration was adopted, on July 4, 1826, both Jefferson and Adams died on the exact same day. No way! On the 50th anniversary! That is unbelievably spooky. It's one of history's wildest coincidences. Today, Independence Day is a mix of all that history. Its brass bands playing music, families barbecuing, and the night sky exploding with colour. All because 56 men sat in a room full of horseflies and decided to be brave. Exactly. They prove that a piece of writing, fuelled by the desire for freedom, could change the world forever. Alright, Finn, quiz time! Let's see how much you remember from today's explosive story. Oh boy, my brain is ready. Let's do this. First question. What city did the 56 men meet in to approve the declaration? Next one. How many American colonies were there originally? Question three. Who was the King of Britain they were rebelling against? Here's number four. What flew through the open windows of the hot meeting room? Last question. How many cannon salutes were fired at the first celebration in 1777? Great job! Let's see how you did. The first answer is they met in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. For question two, there were exactly thirteen colonies. Number three, the answer is King George III. Question four, giant biting horseflies flew in from a stable and made them hurry up. And the final answer is thirteen cannon salutes, one for each colony. Wow! I got them all! I guess I really know my Independence Day facts now. You sure do. I still can't believe they fought a war for seven years after signing it. I'm just amazed that they ate 150 million hot dogs. I mean, not back then, but you know what I mean. It's an incredible story of bravery and huge celebrations. Listeners, if you love eating hot dogs and learning history with us, please leave us a five-star review. Just scroll down on your podcast app and tap those five stars. Yeah, it really helps other kids find the show. Oh, and don't forget to check out our site kidopoly.com. We've got tons of fun learning games and activities there. It's like a playground for your brain. And if you want to shout out on the show or just want to say hi, email us at hello at kidopoly.com. Send us your favourite history facts. Thanks for celebrating with us. See you next time on History's Not Boring. Bye everyone!