Loyal and proud citizens of the Confederate States of Earth, on this day the Union has signed a treaty which has brought an end to our war of independence, the treaty means the Union has to respect our independence and our self-determination, therefore I declare this day the Confederate Independence Day, we shall give thanks for the survival of our liberty, and remember those who fell for our freedom!
—President Jane Zarkan, declaring the day of the signing of the Treaty of Williamstown the Confederate Independence Day
Confederate Independence Day was an annual holiday celebrated by the Confederate States of Earth, a nation on the planet Earth which seceded from the Union of Earth States. The holiday was a national day off, and celebrations included firework displays, both public and private, as well as public and private feasts and military marches. The holiday was banned during the 22 years the Confederacy spent under rule of the Galactic Empire's Earth Empire puppet state, much to the anger of the Confederates, who defied the ban and continued to secretly observe the holiday anyway.
In 21 BBY 59 states of Earth seceded from the Union of Earth States and formed the Confederate States of Earth, the Confederate States of Earth soon allied with the Confederacy of Independent Systems, as a result the Galactic Republic allied with the Union.
The Republic pushed the Union to declare war on the Confederacy, starting the Earth Civil War and beginning the First Battle of Earth, the Confederacy, and most Union citizens, were angered by the unprovoked attack, resulting in the Second Secessionist Crisis, during which an additional 36 nations seceded from the Union and joined the Confederacy, between the two secessionist crises the Confederacy had 95 member states, whilst the Union was reduced from having 110 members to just 15.
Following the Confederate victory in the Earth Civil War the Union was forced to respect Confederate independence, the Treaty of Williamstown made the Union renounce all claim to the Confederacy.