<Li> In 1779, July 4 fell on a Sunday . The holiday was celebrated on Monday, July 5 . </Li> <Li> In 1781, the Massachusetts General Court became the first state legislature to recognize July 4 as a state celebration . </Li> <Li> In 1783, Moravians in Salem, North Carolina, held a celebration of July 4 with a challenging music program assembled by Johann Friedrich Peter . This work was titled The Psalm of Joy . This is recognized as the first recorded celebration and is still celebrated there today . </Li> <Li> In 1870, the U.S. Congress made Independence Day an unpaid holiday for federal employees . </Li>

When did we start celebrating 4th of july