The Fourth of July provides a chance for Americans to celebrate the ideals that led our predecessors to declare independence from the British in the first place: the belief that everyone has the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Many business owners, however, celebrate their independence 365 days a year.

More than half of America's small-business owners, 52 percent, say independence and the ability to control their own destiny drove them to become entrepreneurs, according to a recent survey by Manta. Independence blew away the other major reasons for starting businesses, whether it was being your own boss (23 percent), increased confidence (7 percent) or making more money (4 percent).

And for many business owners, independence is more than a feeling. Nearly three out of four of the 1,105 business owners that Manta polled said having their own business has provided them more freedom than working for someone else.

There are indeed many hurdles. Manta found the fluctuating economy—which is still not back to pre-2007 days—is the No. 1 hurdle to independence among business owners.

All the same, 68 percent reported business success in the first half of 2014, and 83 percent are optimistic for the rest of the year.

Experts disagree over whether entrepreneurship is truly on the rise post-recession. But here’s one heartening fact: The percent of U.S. workers quitting their jobs, at 1.8 percent, is the highest it’s been since the Great Recession, according to the U.S. Labor Department.

The Wall Street Journal says many are quitting for better jobs, or because they think they can find better jobs now. Perhaps they’re making their own Declaration of Independence in the form of a business plan and becoming entrepreneurs, too.

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