The History Behind Our Star-Spangled Celebrations

Independence Day, also affectionately known as The Fourth of July, is anything but your average holiday. From pool parties and backyard barbecues with family and friends, to fun parades and flashy fireworks displays, the holiday is the epitome of the American “go big or go home” way of life. But have you ever stopped to ponder just why we love to celebrate the holiday so much?

A Most Historic Event

July fourth marks the day that the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence back in 1776 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This document, a simple, yet remarkably complex written statement would forever change the world, declaring that the thirteen American colonies would no longer belong to Britain. A new country was born.

The First “July 8^th” Celebration

America didn’t celebrate its newfound independence on July 4^th of that very first year. Instead, a celebration was held on July 8^th, 1776 in Philadelphia. On that day, the Declaration was read aloud for all to hear, and church bells rang out all over the city. Bands played triumphant music, and we can safely assume that many people celebrated, much like we do today with special foods and gatherings.

As the summer of 1776 slipped by, the celebrations continued. (After all, it’s a pretty big deal to start your own country, right?) Many towns held their own events and parties as the news of independence spread. Some of them even held mock funerals for the King of England!

What About The Fireworks?

Perhaps the most “burning” question about our celebrations is centered around our need for fireworks displays on Independence Day. Just why do we mark the July 4^th holiday with fireworks? Well, because John Adams wanted us to, that’s why!

Before the Declaration was even signed, Adams had hoped that Americans would mark the day with boisterous festivities. In a letter to Abigail Adams on July 3, 1776, John wrote that the occasion should be commemorated with “pomp and parade, with shews, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations from one end of this continent to the other from this time forward forever more.”

The first official Independence Day fireworks displays were set off a year later, on July 4, 1777 in Philadelphia and Boston. These displays began and ended with thirteen rockets being shot off – one for each of the thirteen original colonies. By 1783, fireworks displays were common and fireworks and firecrackers were widely available to the public for purchase.

The Tradition Continues

Believe it or not, Independence Day was not declared a legal holiday until 1870, though it was celebrated in style every year, even during the Civil War. In the North, it was celebrated and esteemed as a way of preserving and upholding the Union. In the South, the Confederacy used the holiday to assert their right to live by the ways the Founding Fathers had set forth and renew their rights to their own independence.

Today, most communities in America hold some sort of civic celebration on or around Independence Day each year. Parades with marching bands, fireworks displays, and picnics are common. Citizens decorate their homes and yards with the red-white-and-blue to celebrate America with family and friends. Two of the biggest fireworks displays still take place each year in Washington, D.C. and in New York City.

How do you celebrate American Independence?