The United States’ Declaration of Independence was signed and submitted on July 4, 1776. One of the most important passages that was took out the final draft was about the enslavement and treatment of African-Americans. Many politicians were divided on the topic. They needed to enslave Africans for their plantation system but they also saw how their newly written proclamation contradicts itself calling for liberty and freedom for all mankind. The politicians decided America could not continue to be economically successful without slavery and chose to get rid of this passage in the Declaration of Independence . So slavery continued. On the 4th of July 1777 as Americans celebrated the first annual commemoration of independence with concerts, bonfires, parades and the firing of cannons and muskets more than 500,000 Black Americans were slaves. A yearly average of 74,000 Africans were kidnapped and imported for the American colonies from 1776 to 1800 with a total of 1,850,000. SO DON’T ASK ME WHAT I’M DOING FOR THE 4TH OF JULY…ABSOLUTELY NOTHING…NOTHING FOR THIS DESCENDANT OF AFRICANS TO CELEBRATE.