Because the Fourth of July falls on a Saturday this year, most American workers will get Friday off as the federal holiday, providing a nice three-day weekend to celebrate Independence Day and summer.

If John Adams had his way, we'd actually be celebrating on Thursday, July 2. That's the day in 1776 when the Continental Congress passed the resolution declaring colonial independence from England. Following that vote, Adams wrote to his wife, Abigail, "the Second of July, 1776, will be the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America. I am apt to believe it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival."

Two days later, Congress adopted a document penned by Thomas Jefferson outlining philosophies of human rights and liberties, the political relationships between people and their government, the grievances of the American colonies against England and the declared intent of those colonies to separate from England and form their own country.

The Declaration of Independence.

So, while Congress declared independence on July 2, it wasn't until two days later that it officially explained why.

There are great Web sites that offer historical insights, letters, journals - even downloadable copies of historic documents - all relating to the history and significance of the Fourth of July.

This is more than just stuff for schoolkids. This is information every American should be aware of, for it forms the context and basis of why we celebrate the Fourth of July as a uniquely American holiday.

The Declaration

www.ushistory.org/Declaration

A perfect starting point. Learn about the Declaration of Independence, the people who signed it, Thomas Jefferson's account of writing the document and more. You can read Jefferson's rough draft he presented to Benjamin Franklin, John Adams and the rest of the declaration committee for correction and comment. Then read the version presented to Congress. It's fascinating to see what sections were deleted, what passages were rewritten and what phrases were modified.

Most people probably think of the Declaration as a pure document; that is, an inspired moment of political and philosophical clarity that was penned perfect, complete, unaltered. This site shows otherwise, reminding us through example that even one of our greatest political documents had to be revised several times to meet the political needs and compromises of the day.

Charters of Freedom

www.archives.gov/exhibits/ charters

From The National Archives, an online exhibit of the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Download high-resolution images of the original documents, read about the creation of the documents and more. An excellent online reference. By the way, if you go to www.archives.gov/exhibits, you can explore other fascinating online exhibits related to American history including audio, video, eyewitness accounts, historic photos and more. Believe me - it will be easy to spend several hours at this site.

Journals of the Continental Congress

http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/amlaw/lwjc.html

You can read the daily proceedings of the Second Continental Congress, which ran from 1775 to 1789. See how lawmakers went about the process of introducing an independence resolution and what happened afterward. A nicely annotated online exhibit with links within text to related and relevant content elsewhere within the journals. Maybe not light reading, but fascinating reading nonetheless.

Speaking of the July 4 holiday, the three-day weekend offers a great opportunity to do a little in-state travel. You may have seen stacks of white passport-sized booklets titled "Passport to North Dakota History" at various grocery stores, gas stations, counters or stands. They're free and they're worth picking up if you're looking for something to do in North Dakota.

Put together by the State Historical Society and the USDA Forest Service, they offer compact guides and references to historic state sites and parks. You'd be surprised at what you can visit in virtually every corner of the state.

What's the online angle to all this, you may be wondering? Well, if you go to http://history.nd.gov/historicsites, you'll get an online version of the places you can find in the printed book.

You also can go to www.ndtourism.com/vacations/tripstogo for ideas and suggested itineraries for day trips through the state.

Check out the printed booklet or these sites for great travel ideas in your own backyard this Fourth.

(Keith Darnay has worked in the online world for more than a decade, the traditional media world for a few decades more and manages the online department and Web site for the University of Mary. His own site, featuring this column going back to 1995, is at www.darnay.com.iec.)