Updated

Updated · CNN · Jul 3

Jefferson Bought Thermometer for 3 Pounds 15 Shillings on July 4, 1776, as Congress Adopted Declaration

Updated

Updated · CNN · Jul 3

Jefferson Bought Thermometer for 3 Pounds 15 Shillings on July 4, 1776, as Congress Adopted Declaration

Q: Why did John Adams believe July 2, not July 4, would become America's most celebrated holiday?

John Adams believed July 2 should be America’s defining holiday because that was the day the Continental Congress actually voted for independence from Great Britain. On July 2, 1776, Congress approved Richard Henry Lee’s resolution declaring the colonies “free and independent states.” To Adams, that vote was the decisive legal and political break with Britain—the moment independence truly happened. By comparison, July 4 marked Congress’s approval of the final wording of the Declaration of Independence, not the original decision itself. Adams made his view clear in a July 3 letter to his wife, Abigail. He called July 2 “the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America” and predicted it would be celebrated by future generations with “Pomp and Parade,” including “Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations.” History turned out differently because July 4 became attached to the widely circulated Declaration itself. That document, drafted chiefly by Thomas Jefferson and formally adopted on July 4, became the public symbol of the nation’s birth. But Adams’s reasoning was straightforward: the vote on July 2 created independence; the Declaration approved on July 4 explained and announced it.

3 articles · Updated · CNN · Jul 3

Jefferson’s expense log shows that on July 4, 1776, he bought a thermometer for 3 pounds 15 shillings, seven pairs of women’s gloves for 17 shillings, and gave 1 shilling 6 pence to charity.
Four temperature readings — from 68 degrees at dawn to 76 by 1 p.m. — suggest he was already tracking the weather as Congress finalized the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia.
Historians say the purchases underscore how ordinary errands continued on a revolutionary day, especially since Congress had already voted for independence on July 2 and handled roughly 14 other matters on July 4.
A mistaken “June 31” entry raises doubts about the exact dating, but editors of Jefferson’s papers say the surrounding records still point to the thermometer and glove purchases having been made on July 4.
The episode highlights July 4 as both a world-changing political milestone and a mundane day of personal business, with possible motives ranging from stocking up for Martha Jefferson to disrupted wartime trade.

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4 Sources

What do Jefferson's personal purchases reveal about the man behind America's founding document?

Why did John Adams believe July 2, not July 4, would become America's most celebrated holiday?

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Overview

On July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress formally adopted the Declaration of Independence, marking a decisive break from Great Britain and the birth of a new nation. Immediately after this historic act, Congress moved to establish national symbols, appointing a committee—including Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and John Adams—to design a national seal that would reflect the country’s independence and aspirations. While the creation of the Great Seal took years and several committees to complete, the foundational steps began on this pivotal day, blending revolutionary decisions with the practical work of nation-building.

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