We all can remember some part of our U.S. National History we studied in grade, middle, high school and college but do you really know we arrived where we are today?  This is not a post about a political endorsement for a candidate or any other political announcement but about the real Heroes who have helped us get to where we are now.

Here’s a brief history on Independence Day itself.

During the American Revolation, legal separation of the Thirteen Colonies occurred on July 2, 1776, where we became separated from Great Britain.  The Declaration of Independence is an explanation provided by Congress by a Committee of (5) with Thomas Jefferson as its primary author.  The wording and all details were finalized on the 4th of July.

Past Observations and Traditions

–  In 1777, thirteen gunshots were fired in salute, once at morning and once again as evening fell, on July 4 in Bristol, Rhode Island. Philadelphia celebrated the first anniversary in a manner a modern American would find quite familiar: an official dinner for the Continental Congress, toasts, 13-gun salutes, speeches, prayers, music, parades, troop reviews, and fireworks. Ships were decked with red, white, and blue bunting

– In 1778, General George Washington marked July 4 with a double ration of rum for his soldiers and an artillery salute. Across the Atlantic Ocean, ambassadors John Adams and Benjamin Franklin held a dinner for their fellow Americans in Paris, France.[14]

– In 1779, July 4 fell on a Sunday. The holiday was celebrated on Monday, July 5.

– In 1781 the Massachusetts General Court became the first state legislature to recognize July 4 as a state celebration.

– In 1783, Moravians in Salem, North Carolina, held a celebration of July 4 with a challenging music program assembled by Johann Friedrich Peter. This work was titled “The Psalm of Joy”.

– In 1791 the first recorded use of the name “Independence Day” occurred.

– In 1820 the first Fourth of July celebration was held in Eastport, Maine which remains the largest in the state.

– In 1870, the U.S. Congress made Independence Day an unpaid holiday for federal employees.

– In 1938, Congress changed Independence Day to a paid federal holiday.

Customs

– Independence Day fireworks are often accompanied by patriotic songs such as the national anthem “The Star-Spangled Banner“, “God Bless America“, “America the Beautiful“, “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee“, “This Land Is Your Land“, “Stars and Stripes Forever“, and, regionally, “Yankee Doodle” in northeastern states and “Dixie” in southern states. Some of the lyrics recall images of the Revolutionary War or the War of 1812.

– Firework shows are held in many states, and many fireworks are sold for personal use or as an alternative to a public show. Safety concerns have led some states to ban fireworks or limit the sizes and types allowed. Illicit traffic transfers many fireworks from less restrictive states.

– A salute of one gun for each state in the United States, called a “salute to the union,” is fired on Independence Day at noon by any capable military base.

– In 2009, New York City had the largest fireworks display in the country, with over 22 tons of pyrotechnics exploded.[18] Other major displays are in Chicago on Lake Michigan; in San Diego over Mission Bay; in Boston on the Charles River; in St. Louis on the Mississippi River; in San Francisco over the San Francisco Bay; and on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.. During the annual Windsor-Detroit International Freedom Festival, Detroit, Michigan hosts one of the world’s largest fireworks displays, over the Detroit River, to celebrate Independence Day in conjunction with Windsor, Ontario‘s celebration of Canada Day.

Historical Observations

– Held since 1785, the Bristol Fourth of July Parade in Bristol, Rhode Island is the oldest continuous Independence Day celebration in the United States.

– Since 1868, Seward, Nebraska has held a celebration on the same town square. In 1979 Seward was designated “America’s Official Fourth of July City-Small Town USA” by resolution of Congress. Seward has also been proclaimed Nebraska’s Official Fourth of July City” by Governor James Exon in proclamation. Seward is a town of 6,000 but swells to 40,000+ during the July 4 celebrations.

– Since 1912, the Rebild Society, a Danish-American friendship organization, has held a July 4 weekend festival that serves as a homecoming for Danish-Americans in the Rebild section of Denmark.

– Since 1916, Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York City supposedly started as a way to settle a dispute among four immigrants as to who was the most patriotic.

However, you and/or your famiily will spend the 4th of July: Independence Day, we ask that you take into consideration of fireworks whether they are big or small and if they are legal in your City.  Everyone wants to be safe, have fun and be legal.

The NW Fire Blog team wishes you and your family a Safe and Sound Holiday this year.  And remember, Pets are People too!