Robert Carl Jansky in his 1979 book Interpreting the Eclipses discusses the chart for the United States (page 75). He says that the U.S. horoscope with 7-1/2 Gemini rising closely conjunct Uranus (approximately 2:15 AM on July 4, 1776 in Philadelphia) is the chart “that a majority of astrologers have come to recognize as the correct one.” In his analysis he also considers a Libra rising as well as a Sagittarius rising chart that he credits to Dane Rudhyar.

Donna Cunningham similarly states in her 1982 book, Being a Lunar type in a Solar World that, “Most astrologers use the traditional chart calculated for July 4, 1776 at 2:13:32 AM in Philadelphia” (page 29), virtually the same chart Jansky referred to. Barbara Watters in her book Horary Astrology and the Judgment of Events (1973) also cites a US. Gemini rising chart with Uranus rising drawn for 2:17 AM.

How things have changed! In the years subsequent to 9/11, many more astrologers have accepted a Sagittarius rising horoscope due to the fact that transiting Pluto was conjoining this chart’s Ascendant at the time of the attacks. It seems to me that this event has changed our thinking radically. A major event, surely, but still only one.

And while many astrologers have presented documentary evidence for one chart or another, basically none of them are dispositive.

I use Evangeline Adams’ 3:03 AM Gemini rising chart for 7/4/1776 which has Mars rising and the Moon in the 9th house. Jupiter rules the 7th and is placed in the 1st house. This is strong symbolism for being a nation of immigrants who come from afar. But I can’t support it further except to say that it seems to work for me. And while Astrodatabank gives a source for her data, this does not seem to be based on any documentary evidence that is available.