The Shocking Date John Adams Got Wrong About America’s Independence Day Revealed!

You ever wonder if we’re actually celebrating America’s birthday on the right day? Turns out, John Adams—the guy who basically pitched the Independence Day party back in 1776—had the date all wrong. Yep, while we’re busy grilling hot dogs and setting off fireworks on July 4th, Adams was convinced the real celebration belonged on July 2nd. Talk about a calendar mix-up! And if that’s not enough to make you scratch your head, the whole Declaration of Independence signing saga stretched out way beyond the Fourth, with some folks putting pen to paper as late as 1781. So, next time you’re toasting to freedom, maybe give a nod to history’s quirks—after all, freedom’s party might’ve started fashionably late… or early. Curious to dig deeper into this time-twisting tale? LEARN MORE.

When John Adams penned a letter to future first lady Abigail Adams on July 3, 1776, he guessed how future generations of Americans would celebrate Independence Day with remarkable accuracy: “solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more.”

The only problem? Adams predicted the wrong date. He wrote to Abigail that “the second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America.”

The future president’s plans for big Second of July bashes sank into obscurity, but Adams might have been onto something—when Americans party like it’s 1776 on the Fourth, we’re actually celebrating independence two days late. Or maybe even a month too early, as the first signature on the Declaration of Independence didn’t occur until August 2. (Thomas McKean, a delegate who at one point served as the president of the Continental Congress, is thought to be the last, signing the document as late as 1781.)