On July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence, setting the 13 colonies on the road to freedom as a sovereign nation. This most American of holidays will be marked with typical festivities ranging from fireworks, parades and concerts to more casual family gatherings and barbecues across the country. As we celebrate this Independence Day, we reflect on how our Founding Fathers enshrined the importance of statistics in our Constitution as a vital tool for measuring our people, places and economy.

2.5 million: In July 1776, the estimated number of people living in the newly independent nation.

Source: Historical Statistics of the United States: 1789-1945

323.1 million: The nation’s estimated population on July 4, 2016. Source: U.S. and World Population Clock

56: The number of signers to the Declaration of Independence. Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Roger Sherman and Robert R. Livingston comprised the Committee of Five that drafted the declaration. Jefferson, regarded as the strongest and most eloquent writer, wrote most of the document.

• It is also worth noting that John Hancock, president of the Second Continental Congress, was the first signer, and a merchant by trade. In 2015, there were 7.7 million business establishments with paid employees in the United States; 1.1 million, like Hancock, were in the retail trade industry.

Source: 2015 Geography Area Series: County Business Patterns, Table CB1500A11

• Benjamin Franklin, who represented Pennsylvania, was the oldest of the signers at age 70. Franklin County, Pa., had an estimated population of 153,851 as of July 1, 2016. Edward Rutledge, of South Carolina, was the youngest at age 26.

Source: 2016 Population Estimates, Annual Estimates of the Resident Population: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2016

• Two future presidents signed, John Adams (second president) and Thomas Jefferson (third president). Both died on the 50th anniversary of signing the declaration (July 4, 1826). There are 12 counties nationwide named Adams and 26 named Jefferson.

Source: 2016 U.S. Gazetteer Files

• Robert Livingston, who represented New York, was on the Committee of Five that drafted the Declaration of Independence but was recalled by his state before he could sign it. Livingston County, N.Y., was home to an estimated 64,257 people as of July 1, 2016.

Source: 2016 Population Estimates, Annual Estimates of the Resident Population: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2016

• Representing Georgia in 1776 were Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall and George Walton. Gwinnett County, Ga. (907,135); Hall County, Ga. (196,637); and Walton County, Ga. (90,184), were named for these signers.

Source: 2016 Population Estimates, Annual Estimates of the Resident Population: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2016

• Charles Carroll, who represented Maryland, was the last surviving signer of the declaration. He died in 1832 at the age of 95. Carroll County, Md., named for him, had an estimated population of 167,656 as of July 1, 2016.

Source: 2016 Population Estimates, Annual Estimates of the Resident Population: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2016

• Roger Sherman, who worked as a land surveyor and lawyer, represented Connecticut. In 2015, there were an estimated 25,698 surveyors, cartographers and photogrammetrists employed full time, year-round, and 879,090 lawyers employed full time, year-round nationwide.

Source: 2015 American Community Survey, Table B24124

• Nelson County, Va. (14,869), and Wythe County, Va. (29,016), were named for two of the six signers who represented the state of Virginia — Thomas Nelson Jr. and George Wythe. Source: 2016 Population Estimates, Annual Estimates of the Resident Population: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2016

$296.2 million: The value of fireworks imported from China in 2016, representing the bulk of all U.S. fireworks imported ($307.8 million). U.S. exports of fireworks, by comparison, came to just $10.0 million in the same year.

Source: International Trade Statistics, Code 360410

$368.6 million: The value of fireworks sales by retailers in 2012.

Source: 2012 Economic Census, NAICS: 453998

$5.4 million: The value of U.S. imports of American flags in 2016. The vast majority of this amount ($5.3 million) was imported from China.

Source: International Trade Statistics, Code 6307909825

$27.8 million: The value of U.S. flags exported in 2016. Mexico accounted for the vast majority of U.S. flags exported ($26.1 million).

Source: International Trade Statistics, Code 6307909825

33: The number of counties and census incorporated places that contain the word “Liberty” in the name. Of the 33 areas, four are counties: Liberty County, Texas (81,704); Liberty County, Ga. (62,570); Liberty County, Fla. (8,202); and Liberty County, Mont. (2,409).

Sources: 2016 U.S. Gazetteer Files and 2016 Population Estimates, Annual Estimates of the Resident Population: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2016

1: The number of incorporated places that has “Patriot” in its name: Patriot town, Ind., has an estimated population of 208.

Source: 2015 Population Estimates

18: The number of counties that have “Union” in the name. Of the 18 counties, the three largest in population are: Union County, N.J. (555,630); Union County, N.C. (226,606); and Union County, Ohio (55,457).

Source: 2016 Population Estimates, Annual Estimates of the Resident Population: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2016

$109.7 billion: The value of trade between the United States and the United Kingdom in 2016, making the British our adversary in 1776, the seventh-leading trading partner today.

Source: International Trade Statistics

23,959,441: The number of people reporting English ancestry in the United States. People claiming English ancestry ranked third behind those claiming German (45,526,331) and Irish ancestry (32,713,324).

Source: 2015 American Community Survey