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The United States of America has existed for well over two centuries as a country that values freedom as its highest ideal. When our forefathers, fed up with Great Britain’s oppressive rule and taxation without representation, created and adopted the Declaration of Independence, the United States of America was born. To commemorate the anniversary of the historic day of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence, July 4th, people all across the country hold celebrations that revolve around the idea of freedom and liberty. Fireworks, barbecues, parades, picnics, carnivals, concerts, and baseball games are all very common ways for Americans to celebrate the 4th of July. Since the day is essentially the birthday of our country, the festivities generally tend to involve entire communities, with certain national celebrations drawing people from all over the country to come and have fun. All in all, though, the 4th of July is a time to celebrate the history, government, and traditions of the United States of America.

The Declaration of Independence came about after a year of war between the Thirteen Colonies and the kingdom of Great Britain. At the time, relations between the colonies and the mother country had deteriorated to the point where a large proportion of colonists felt a growing urge to rebel and create their own form of government. Especially annoying to the colonists was the fact that the Seven Years’ War, a war taking place in Europe in which the British were heavily involved, drained the coffers of the British kingdom to the point where Parliament levied an excessive amount of taxes on the colonists without giving them a significant say in the matter. Although the colonists certainly disagreed, Parliament and the British public believed that the Stamp Act of 1765 and the Townshend Act of 1767, both of which introduced bizarre taxes and rules for the colonists, were justified. When the colonists tried to defend themselves from having to pay the exorbitant taxes, though, the British government argued that Parliament was the supreme form of legislation and that none of the taxes would be repealed. This led some prominent American thinkers to argue that Parliament actually had no authority over the colonies at all, making the taxes unjust.

As British rule of the colonies intensified and Parliament moved to punish Massachusetts for the Boston Tea Party, the colonists began to organize a response. The first Continental Congress was the first step of this response, urging a boycott of British goods and petitioning the king to repeal these acts. However, the British government did not listen, eventually leading to armed conflict breaking out in 1775 at Lexington and Concord. Although many colonists hoped to reconcile with Great Britain and put an end to the bloodshed, the Second Continental Congress’s attempts to reach an agreement with the British did not end well. Instead, King George III issued a Proclamation of Rebellion which decreed that the colonists were rebelling and opted to have foreign powers help to squash the rebellion before it could get off the ground. This development helped to create a revolutionary air in the Thirteen Colonies, and the political vehicle began to move toward creating the document that would eventually sever all ties between the colonies and Great Britain. After many months and several drafts, delegates from nine colonies voted for independence, and on July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was approved and sent for publication.

Celebration of the 4th of July has evolved drastically throughout history. In 1777, one year after the Declaration of Independence was adopted, thirteen guns were fired in the morning and the evening in Bristol, Rhode Island, and an official dinner, complete with speeches, prayers, music, parades, and fireworks, was held for the Continental Congress. By 1781, the Massachusetts state legislature became the first to recognize the 4th of July as a state celebration. The term “Independence Day” was first recorded in 1791 and in 1870, Independence Day became an unpaid holiday for all federal workers thanks to Congress. In 1931, Congress changed the 4th of July to become a paid federal holiday, setting the standard for how the 4th of July is viewed today.

Because of the fact that the 4th of July is a national holiday to celebrate the birth of a nation, much of the day involves patriotic displays in a variety of forms. Amicable weather in many parts of the country, thanks to Independence Day falling during the summer, makes outdoors celebrations especially popular. A popular way for families to celebrate the 4th of July is to hold a picnic or a barbecue, while many communities also hold similar events in a public location, such as a town park. Decorations in and around gathering places are generally colored red, white, and blue, as homage to the American flag, and patriotic music can often be heard. A very popular tradition in many communities is the hosting of a parade that winds through the center of the town. These most often occur in the morning to take advantage of the cooler weather and to give enough time for fireworks displays at night.

Fireworks displays have become the most iconic aspect of 4th of July. Major metropolitan areas such as New York City often hold extremely lavish and impressive fireworks displays that light up the sky for miles, while smaller communities come together to put on an impressive fireworks show. Patriotic songs, such as the national anthem, “God Bless America,” “America the Beautiful,” “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee,” and “Stars and Stripes Forever” often accompany these fireworks displays. Because of the fact, though, that fireworks can be dangerous, especially in the hands of children and overzealous revelers, many states have gone so far as to ban them within state limits or to limit the sizes and types allowed. The importance of the fireworks display to the 4th of July experience usually means that if Independence Day falls in the middle of the week, the fireworks shows will be postponed until the weekend so that everyone has an opportunity to see them.

There are also many high-profile events that take place all over the country on the 4th of July. One of the largest is the America’s Freedom Festival in Provo, Utah, which features an enormous parade and a concert called the Stadium of Fire that featured performances from Miley Cyrus and the Blue Man Group in 2008. The largest fireworks display in the Midwest, which is called the Red, White, & Boom, takes place on the last weekday before Independence Day in Columbus, Ohio. Anywhere from 500,000 to 750,000 people flock to the city to enjoy the impressive display, while several more thousand people are able to enjoy the show in HD on the local NBC channel. The town of Bristol, Rhode Island is known for having the oldest continuous Independence Day celebration in the United States, an event with several traditions dating back more than a century. Sports events are also very popular during the 4th of July weekend, especially major league and minor league baseball and stock car racing – NASCAR has hosted the Coke Zero 400 on July 4 or the Saturday of Independence Day weekend since 1959. Whether you celebrate at a small family picnic or a huge national event, 4th of July is a time to recognize our nation for the great triumph it is.