By Kristy McCaffrey
The Fourth of July—or Independence Day—is a federal holiday
in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of
Independence on July 4, 1776. This document, ratified by the Second Continental
Congress, set forth that the original thirteen American colonies were now a new
nation—the United States of America—and no longer a part of the British Empire.
In actuality, the vote to separate from England occurred on
July 2, 1776, but the date written on the Declaration of Independence—July 4—became
the popular holiday. (It is also believed that the document itself wasn’t
signed until August 2, 1776.) One of the signer’s (and the 2nd U.S.
President), John Adams, had this to say in a letter to his wife, although he was
incorrect about the date:
“The second day of
July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch 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 commemorated as the day of
deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be
solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells,
bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from
this time forward forever more.”
Out west, Independence Day celebrations didn’t begin until
the 1800’s. For example, the first Independence Day celebrated in Prescott,
Arizona took place on July 4, 1864. The town was just over one month old but
three hundred people attended the festivities, which included a parade of the
cavalry from Fort Whipple and speeches by Governor John Goodwin (the first
governor of the Arizona Territory) and Secretary of Territory Richard
McCormick. A huge meal was laid out of fried liver, venison and beef steaks,
mutton stew, barbecued beef, and pot pies alongside coffee, tea and milk. A
local saloon also provided whiskey. Over time, this annual celebration became a
modern-day rodeo in Prescott, purported to be the oldest rodeo in Arizona.
Today, not much has changed for Fourth of July celebrations.
Americans engage in cookouts, barbecues, picnics, parades, carnivals, fairs,
concerts, and of course fireworks.
* * * *
Kristy McCaffrey has been writing since she was very young, but it wasn’t until she was a stay-at-home mom that she considered becoming published. She’s the author of several historical western romances, all set in the American southwest. She lives in the Arizona desert with her husband, two chocolate labs, and whichever of their four teenage children happen to be in residence.
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2 comments:
Independence Day always reminds me of the Bordertown episode when the Mountie and the Marshall get competitive over which holiday will have the biggest celebration (the town sitting on the US Canada border).
In reality, the American holiday would have won hands down. Canadian observed Dominion Day quietly back then. Their big celebration was Victoria Day. That's when the feasts, festivities and fireworks would take place. (We still do fireworks and many of us fire up the grill, but mostly the holiday is marked by the opening of cottages and the beginning of the gardening season.)
Hi Alison--thanks for sharing about Canada's celebrations!!
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