On July 4, 1776, if we all recall our history classes, the men who formed the Second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia to finalize and adopt an important document, the Declaration of Independence. Once adopted, the Founding Fathers stepped outside and read the Declaration aloud to the people of Philadelphia.
Independence Day parade in Denver, Colorado, circa 1890s. (www.vintag.es)
Following this first public reading of the Declaration of Independence, the American people rejoiced. Church bells rang, and people cheered. The following year, to commemorate this event, folks planned even more celebrations. The early Independence Day celebrations looked a bit different than today’s parties, as you can see in this colorized photograph from Denver in the 1890s. Let’s look at how our ancestors celebrated Independence Day.
1777
Reading the Declaration of Independence aloud was common in early Independence Day celebrations. (bostonglobe.com)
The first celebration to commemorate the adoption of the Declaration of Independence was centered primarily in Philadelphia. The festivities began with the reading of the Declaration of Independence, to the cheers and tears of the audience. People celebrated by letting off firecrackers, lighting bonfires, and walking around with candles and lanterns. It seemed that fire was a big part of the event. Remember, though, that the Revolutionary War was still going on at this time, so people were not yet in full-on celebration mode.
The Spread of Independence Day
Parade participants standing at attention as the Declaration of Independence was read to the crowd. (www.vintag.es)
The Revolutionary War ended in 1783. Now that the Americans were truly independent of Great Britain, they felt free to celebrate in earnest. Independence Day festivities spread from Philadelphia to other areas, such as Boston, Baltimore, and New York. The 4th of July even replaces March 5th, the date of the Boston Massacre, as the city’s most patriotic holiday.
Parades and Picnics
Historical pageants were part of Independence Day festivities. (en.wikipedia.org)
Within a few decades, Independence Day celebrations were common in nearly every city and town in the United States. It was a time for neighbors to come together to remember the sacrifices of their fathers and grandfathers who fought for their freedom. Most celebrations were a mixture of somber remembrance and loud revelry. Nearly every community began the festivities with a reading of the Declaration of Independence. The crowd, so stirred by the rousing words of the Founding Fathers, cheered, waved American flags, and basked in the pride of patriotism. Parades and community-wide picnics followed.
A Day of Celebration
4th of July celebrations often meant a rousing game of baseball. (jstor.org)
As the celebrations grew, more attractions were added. There might be an apple pie baking contest, horse races, baseball games, band concerts, and historical reenactments. Fireworks also became part of the festivities. Two common threads ran through the majority of the Independence Day celebrations throughout the 1800s and into the early 1900s – community and patriotism. The Declaration of Independence was still read, and events were planned to bring neighbors together to socialize. That began to change, however.
An Official Federal Holiday
The 4th of July queen and her court at Cabrillo Beach, 1958. (pinterest.com)
Independence Day, or the 4th of July, didn’t become an official federal holiday until 1941 when Congress declared it so. Ironically, it was after this time that Independence Day celebrations shifted from community gatherings to smaller groups of families and friends. While there are still plenty of cities and towns in the U.S. that hosted festivals and parties, it seemed that people wanted to host their own private gatherings. Backyard cookouts became a 4th of July tradition, with burgers and hot dogs taking center stage, next to other all-American favorites like corn on the cob, baked beans, and apple pie. For many people, Independence Day became more about barbecues and days at the beach than it did about remembering when the country declared itself independent from the British. Of course, folks still come together to ohh and ahh over the increasingly elaborate fireworks displays.
Remembering Old Times
The 1901 parade of the Yukon Order of Pioneers for 4th of July in Nome, Alaska. (en.wikipedia.org)
It stirs up a bit of nostalgia to see how the Independence Day holiday evolved from community picnics, recitation of the Declaration of Independence, reflections on the sacrifices of the American patriots to today’s 4th of July parties that are more about drinking, grilling out with friends, and exploding fireworks in the backyard all night.
