The Man Who Tried to Cancel Fireworks: Charles Pennypacker

Charles Pennypacker, a Pennsylvania lawyer, legislator, and governor, wasn't anti-American. He just wanted people to stop blowing themselves up every Fourth of July.

At the turn of the twentieth century, Independence Day celebrations could be dangerous. In 1903 alone, more than 460 people died during Fourth of July festivities. Thousands more suffered burns, lost fingers, contracted infections, or developed tetanus from fireworks-related injuries.

The culprits included:

·       Homemade fireworks

·       Exploding firecrackers

·       Toy pistols that fired blank cartridges

·       Cannons

·       Gunpowder accidents

·       People firing guns into the air

Pennypacker looked at the annual chaos and decided enough was enough. He became a leading voice in the "Safe and Sane Fourth" movement, which encouraged Americans to celebrate without risking life and limb.

Instead of fireworks and explosives, Pennypacker suggested more peaceful activities such as:

·       Picnics

·       Family gatherings

·       Trolley rides

·       Relaxing in a hammock

·       Sandwiches

·       Cake

·       Even deviled eggs

Americans were not impressed.

According to newspaper reports, on July 3, 1904, a group of young men gathered outside Pennypacker's home armed with Roman candles and fireworks. When midnight struck, they unleashed fifteen straight minutes of explosions outside his windows.

Despite the ridicule, Pennypacker's efforts helped spark real change. The Safe and Sane Fourth movement gained momentum across the country. Cities began regulating fireworks, and some banned certain types altogether.

Even President William Howard Taft supported the movement. In 1910, he attended a Safe and Sane Fourth of July celebration that featured no firecrackers. By 1929, more than twenty states had enacted laws regulating fireworks.

Today, most Americans take fireworks regulations for granted. Few realize that a century ago, Independence Day injuries could be deadly.

Charles Pennypacker died in 1929 at the age of fifty-nine. While history remembers him for many accomplishments, I appreciate him for something simple: he looked at a dangerous tradition and tried to make it safer. Judging by the number of fingers still attached after modern Fourth of July celebrations, I'd say he made a difference.

Sources: Smithsonian Magazine and contemporary newspaper accounts.