The Fourth of July: 2024
On July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence severing the 13 colonies’ ties with Britain and paving the way for them to become a free and sovereign nation. As we celebrate Independence Day, we’re reminded that our Founding Fathers considered statistics so important they enshrined in our Constitution a once-a-decade population count to determine each state’s share of seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.
The following facts are possible thanks to the invaluable responses to U.S. Census Bureau surveys. We appreciate the public’s cooperation as we measure America’s people, places and economy.
Did You Know?
2.5 million
The estimated number of people living in the newly independent nation in July 1776.
Source: Historical Statistics of the United States: 1789-1945
334,914,895
The nation’s population on July 1, 2023.
Source: Vintage 2023 Population Estimates
56
The number of signers of the Declaration of Independence.
It is also worth noting that:
- John Hancock, a merchant by trade, was the first signer. In 2021, more than 1 million business establishments nationally with paid employees were in the retail trade industry like Hancock. Source: 2021 County Business Patterns, Table CB2100CBP
- Benjamin Franklin, who represented Pennsylvania, was the oldest signer of the Declaration of Independence at age 70. Pennsylvania had a resident population of 12,961,683 on July 1, 2023. Edward Rutledge of South Carolina was the youngest signer at age 26. South Carolina had a resident population of 5,373,555 on July 1, 2023.
Source: Vintage 2023 Population Estimates
Continue reading for more statistics on The Fourth of July.
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