From the birth of the nation’s independence to the defining moments of the Civil War and the evolution of American industry and culture, this week reflects the complex and ongoing “nation’s journey” toward democracy and equality.
- June 30
- 1906: Congress passed the Meat Inspection Act and the Pure Food and Drug Act, establishing the first major federal regulations to ensure the safety, sanitation, and honest labeling of consumable goods.
- 1953: The first Chevrolet Corvette, a Polo White convertible, rolled off the assembly line in Flint, Michigan.
- July 1
- 1863: The Battle of Gettysburg, the bloodiest battle of the American Civil War, began in Pennsylvania.
- 1898: Future President Theodore Roosevelt and his Rough Riders led a successful assault on San Juan Hill in Cuba during the Spanish-American War.
- July 2
- 1776: The Continental Congress voted in favor of Richard Henry Lee’s resolution for independence from Great Britain.
- 1964: President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 into law, prohibiting segregation and outlawing discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.
- July 3
- 1775: George Washington officially took command of the Continental Army in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
- 1863: The Battle of Gettysburg concluded with a Union victory after the failure of the Confederate assault known as Pickett’s Charge.
- July 4
- 1776: US Congress proclaims the Declaration of Independence and independence from Great Britain
- 1876: Members of the National Woman Suffrage Association disrupted the Centennial Celebration in Philadelphia to present the “Declaration of the Rights of Women”.
- July 5
- 1852: Frederick Douglass delivered his seminal speech, “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?” in Rochester, New York.
- 1971: The Twenty-sixth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which lowered the voting age from 21 to 18, was formally certified.
- July 6
- 1777: British forces captured Fort Ticonderoga during the American Revolutionary War.
- 1854: The Republican Party held its first official convention in Jackson, Michigan.
