by KYW's John Ostapkovich
Independence Day marks the birth of our nations, right? Yes, but it's on the wrong day, says a LaSalle history professor.
When we celebrate on July 4th, we're a bit off says LaSalle's History Department Chairman Stuart Leibiger:
"The United States became Independent on July 2, 1776, when the Continental Congress voted for independence. The Congress then took up Jefferson's draft and debated it and what actually happened on the Fourth was Congress approved Jefferson's Declaration of Independence. The signing did not happen really until August and so what our mythology has done is compress all these things into one dramatic day."
We all know Jefferson wrote the Declaration, but Professor Leibiger says it wasn't common knowledge until Jefferson was running for President and needed to highlight his Revolutionary credentials.
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