This evening, my family will be attending the Greenfield Village "Salute to America" event for the second year in a row. Last year, the kids had a ball, and it's one of the best fireworks displays in the state. All of the excitement led me to do a little research on the origin of fireworks as part of the July 4th traditions. It is said that John Adams wrote, in a letter to his wife, on July 3, 1776 following the Continental Congress' decision to proclaim American colonies independent of England:
"The day will be most memorable 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…bonfires and illuminations (fireworks) from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more."
This would indicate that fireworks were tied directly to Independence Day celebrations even before the Declaration of Independence had been signed. However, my research also revealed that Independence Day was not always celebrated on the Fourth of July, but that the first Independence Day celebration occurred on July 8, 1776. On that day, people rang bells, shot guns and set off fireworks; which supports the pledge that John Adams shared with his wife 5 days prior. Most sites I found concur with this historical timeline, give or take a few days. Even my favorite source for information, Wikipedia, has an Independence Day entry that is consistent with the information I discovered.
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