As the weather gets hotter and the sunshine seems to last forever, it is clear that summer is in full swing. At stores throughout the country there are sparklers on the shelves, cupcake icing has turned red, white, and blue, and barbecue supplies are dwindling – all of which can only mean one thing: the Fourth of July is upon us. Despite a pandemic taking over our daily lives, the festivities of this holiday will surely go on, as 76% of Americans reportedly plan on celebrating the joyous occasion this year. Whether you plan on marking the day by sharing food, fun, and fireworks with friends or family, it’s important to understand where these traditions originated from. What were some of the first Fourth of July events like? What has remained the same and what new traditions have we adopted as a nation? Are you observing this occasion as the Founding Fathers did?
The National Archives and Records Administration in Washington, DC during a July 4th celebration. Source: NARA
When asked to imagine what took place on July 4, 1776, most Americans think of John Trumbull’s famous painting of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, which hangs in the United States Capitol and has been reproduced in most history textbooks. But did you know that this painting actually depicts a fictional scene, showing the presentation of the declaration’s first draft on June 28, 1776? According to historian David McCullough, “no such ceremonial moment with all Founding Fathers present took place.” Trumbull intentionally created an elaborate yet fictitious scene that captured the likenesses of the Founders and the spirit of the moment. The final version of the document was approved and sent to the printers on July 4, 1776, yet it still wasn’t signed until August 2, 1776.
In fact, if we really want to commemorate the day we as a nation officially declared independence, we will need to start celebrating a few days earlier. It was on July 2, 1776, that the Second Continental Congress voted unanimously in favor of Richard Henry Lee’s resolution, which declared our independence from Great Britain. Following this vote, John Adams wrote to his wife Abigail Adams predicting that:
The Second Day of July 1776, will be the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America.—I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival. It ought to be solemnized 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.
While Adams may have been wrong about the date, he was certainly right about the “pomp and parade.” The first organized celebration of the Fourth of July was held in Philadelphia in 1777, despite clouds of war that would soon engulf the city. The following day, the Pennsylvania Evening Post reported that:
Yesterday the 4th of July was celebrated in this city with demonstrations of joy and festivity. About noon all the armed ships and gallies in the river were drawn up before the city, dressed in the gayest manner, with the colors of the United States and streamers displayed. At night there was a grand exhibition of fireworks (which began and concluded with thirteen rockets) on the Commons, and the city was beautifully illuminated.
How we as Americans celebrate our independence hasn’t changed much since 1777. The traditions of shared meals, patriotic decorations, and explosive firework displays have existed from the very beginning. Even George Washington participated in traditions we still see today, when he issued extra rations of rum to his soldiers, ordered a celebratory cannonade, and hosted a gala dinner during the Continental Army’s own 1778 celebration in camp. Annual organized Fourth of July celebrations started to appear in smaller cities and towns across America after the War of 1812. The longest running Independence Day parade, held in Bristol, Rhode Island every year since 1785, will have to make a few adjustments to its 235th celebration this year, but will still go on despite the pandemic. In 1870, Congress declared the Fourth of July a national holiday, though it wasn’t until 1941 that it became a paid holiday for all federal workers.
A July 4th, 1819 celebration depicted at Philadelphia’s Centre Square in a John Lewis Krimmel painting. Source: Wikipedia
Perhaps the only major change to July 4th celebrations throughout history has been monetary. According to the National Retail Federation, 56% of Americans plan to celebrate Fourth of July this year with a cookout or picnic, spending an average of $76 per person on food items alone, or $6.5 billion nationally. In fact, Americans eat more hotdogs on Independence Day than any other day of the year, consuming a national total of 150 million. That’s enough hotdogs to stretch from Washington, DC to Los Angeles over five times. Of course, Nathan’s Hotdog Eating Competition accounts for a few hundred of those. This year, the annual competition will be held at Coney Island without any crowd, but the show must go on. And let’s not forget the nighttime entertainment—fireworks! Over the past decade, the United States firework industry has grown exponentially because of July 4th. In 2019 alone, American consumers spent over $1 billion on fireworks. Talk about a bang for your buck!
Of course, it is important to point out that the concept of liberty embodied in our Declaration of Independence was far from universal in its application. Black people continued to be enslaved for almost 100 more years on our country's soil. Though President Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation of January 1, 1863 formally outlawed slavery within the Confederacy, it did not apply to the Union’s border states. Slavery continued in them and the District of Columbia until the ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment on December 6, 1865. Enforcement of the proclamation within the Confederacy was also largely contingent on the presence of Union troops. Thus, it was not until June 19, 1865 that Union forces reached Galveston with orders announcing that all those enslaved in Texas were free.
A 1900 Juneteenth celebration at Eastwoods Park. Source: Austin History Center Photo published on Smithsonianmag.com
Newly freed Black Texans began annual celebrations of their liberation in 1866. Today, June 19, or "Juneteenth," is celebrated by many Americans to commemorate the end of slavery in the United States and has been called our “second Independence Day.” What began as a regional Emancipation Day celebration has become a nationwide commemoration, with some form of official recognition in all but three states, as well as some local governments and even private businesses. This year, New York and Virginia joined Texas in establishing Juneteenth as a state holiday. In the near future, Juneteenth may be granted the same federal holiday status as Independence Day. [Update: In 2021, Juneteenth was declared a federal holiday.]
While our Independence Day celebrations may look a bit different this year, what we are celebrating will always remain the same. No matter how you choose to celebrate this year, whether it be while watching fireworks on the National Mall or while watching Hamilton on your couch, may it be a safe and joyful Fourth!