Happy Fourth of July!

By Jeff Criesi

July 1, 2026 8:51 AM

The Liberty Memorial provides a dramatic setting for fireworks on a past July 4 in Kansas City, Missouri. Nick Wagner Kansas City Star file

Today, we commemorate the day in 1776 when the Continental Congress declared that the 13 original American colonies were no longer subject to British rule and were now united and independent states. Happy Fourth!

This story was originally published July 1, 2026 at 8:51 AM with the headline "Happy Fourth of July!."

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