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Happy 4th of july 2024 | Fun facts about the history of Independence Day in the USA

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Mohd Bilal
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5 min read

Fourth of July celebrations in the USA have evolved over time:

The Early Years

  • The first organized Fourth of July celebration was held in Philadelphia in 1777, just a year after the Declaration of Independence was signed. It featured parades, fireworks, and the reading of the Declaration.

  • In the early years of the republic, Independence Day was commemorated with parades, orations, and toasting ceremonies that celebrated the new nation. These events played an important role in the evolving political system.

  • By the mid-1790s, the two nascent political parties held separate partisan Fourth of July festivals in most larger towns.

19th Century

  • During the 19th century, Fourth of July celebrations became more bombastic, with elaborate speeches and ceremonies. This made the day both a serious occasion and sometimes open to ridicule.

  • As American society grew more diverse, different groups like abolitionists, women's rights advocates, and nativists tried to claim the Fourth of July celebration to promote their causes.

Late 19th / Early 20th Century

  • With the rise of leisure time, the Fourth of July emerged as a major midsummer holiday, marked by parades, concerts, and fireworks displays.

  • However, the prevalence of heavy drinking and fireworks injuries prompted a "Safe and Sane Fourth of July" reform movement during this period.

Modern Times

  • While still a major national holiday, Independence Day has declined in importance as a venue for explicit political expression in recent decades.

  • Today, celebrations typically involve parades, barbecues, and fireworks displays that focus more on patriotism and community than partisan politics.

So in summary, Fourth of July celebrations have evolved from relatively simple beginnings into a complex mix of patriotic traditions, political expression, and evolving social norms over the past 250+ years.\

Here are some fun facts about the history of Independence Day in the USA:

  • The Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Continental Congress on July 2, 1776, but it wasn't signed until July 4th.

  • John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, the only two signers of the Declaration of Independence to later become U.S. presidents, both died on July 4, 1826 - the 50th anniversary of the Declaration.

  • James Monroe, another Founding Father who became president, also died on July 4th, in 1831.

  • Calvin Coolidge is the only U.S. president to have been born on the Fourth of July, in 1872.

  • In 1777, the first Independence Day celebration took place with 13 gunshots in the morning and 13 in the evening, as well as a parade, a concert, and fireworks in Philadelphia.

  • The "Star-Spangled Banner" was first published in a Baltimore newspaper on July 4, 1826, the 50th anniversary of the Declaration.

  • Congress made Independence Day a federal holiday in 1870, and in 1938 it became a paid holiday for federal employees.

  • The "Safe and Sane Fourth of July" movement in the late 19th and early 20th centuries tried to curb the dangerous practice of setting off fireworks.

So in summary, Independence Day has been celebrated with parades, fireworks, music, and patriotic displays since the very first anniversary in 1777, and it continues to be a cherished American tradition to this day.

How did the War of 1812 influence Independence Day traditions

The War of 1812 had a significant influence on Independence Day traditions in the United States:

  • After the war, the U.S. gained a strong sense of complete independence, leading to a surge in nationalism and patriotism that was reflected in Independence Day celebrations. The war was seen as a "second war of independence."

  • The war produced new American heroes like Oliver H. Perry and Andrew Jackson, who later became president. This introduced new figures to celebrate on the Fourth of July.

  • The war also inspired patriotic songs like "The Star-Spangled Banner" which eventually became the national anthem. The flag that inspired the song became a key symbol of Independence Day.

  • In the years immediately following the war, Fourth of July celebrations became more bombastic, with elaborate speeches and ceremonies that sometimes bordered on ridicule. The war made the day both a serious occasion and open to parody.

  • The war laid the foundations for the emergence of Canada as an independent nation, which influenced how the Fourth of July was viewed in the U.S. going forward.

So in summary, the War of 1812 injected a renewed sense of patriotism and national pride into Independence Day celebrations, introduced new symbols and figures to commemorate, and changed the tone of the festivities in the years after the conflict ended. It helped cement the Fourth of July as a key part of American identity.

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