Miami fireworks.
photo: Mark Averette
Have you ever wondered how the first anniversary of Independence Day was celebrated in 1777?
According to wikipedia, “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.”
Click to view a patriotic trailer shown in movie theaters in 1940.
How will you celebrate the birthday of our Nation?