The Fourth of July holiday is more than fireworks and cook-outs over a long weekend. The day honors the bravery of the Continental Congress 249 years ago, when they unanimously ratified the document that cites 27 colonial grievances against King George III. Knowing they were technically committing an act of high treason against the Crown, representatives of the Thirteen Colonies put their signatures on the document, formally declaring their independence. The Revolutionary War had begun in April