Fourth of July

In all the festivities associated with the Washington, D.C. Fourth of July celebrations, Americans sometimes forget the history surrounding the date. The Fourth of July commemorates the ratification of the Declaration of Independence which serves as this Nation's official certificate of birth. Interestingly, the Declaration was actually ratified on the the second of July, not the fourth, 1776).

According to researcher Kenneth Davis, as early as 1676, a man named Nathaniel Bacon wrote the "Declaration of the People." This document criticized the British for levying unfair taxes, placing favorites in high positions and not protecting the western farmers from Indians. Americans boycotted the taxes; the British sent in troops. What ensued was the Boston massacre, which turned out to be the beginning of the end of British rule. The first to die was Crispus Attucks, a black American.

In 1773, the colonists decided the British would not monopolize and tax the sale of any one item, such as tea. On the night of December 16th, men from all ranks of society clandestinely boarded three, tea-filled Royal Navy ships and dumped cases and cases of tea into the harbor (the Boston Tea Party). Shortly thereafter, the Revolutionary War began and when America won the War, (and after the ratification of the Declaration of Independence) it was deemed a glorious occasion worthy of an annual celebration. John Adams - one of the authors of the Declaration of Independence - said: "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; 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."

July 4th - History of the Fireworks

It would be hard to imagine ending Independence Day celebrations without the lighting of the night sky with bright, colorful fireworks. It seems every town in our nation puts on its own production this timeof year, yet none can touch the grand display in Washington, DC. The use of fireworks in celebration is no American phenomenon. Chinese used fireworks in celebrations before Westerners had developed Christianity, let alone dreamed of the country whose birthday we commemorate July 4. Read More

Looking for somewhere to celebrate your independence besides down on the Mall in Washington DC? Find out where all the happy hours, concerts, fairs, parties, and other great events in the Washington DC area by visiting our Fourth of July Events Calendar. Click on a date below and you will be taken to event listings for that day. Read More

Visit our gift shop where you can peruse dozens of Washington, D.C. related items and gift ideas. Need to find something educational? No problem. Something for sheer entertainment? No problem. We carry all manner of gifts which will entertain, enlighten and encourage awareness in the general public on many topics and about one of our great country's (some would say most important and revered) federal holidays' of celebration. In our shop we have many unique gifts of interest to just about everyone (regardless of age or budget) that will entertain and educate citizens from all walks of life about the rich history of the Nation's Capital: Washington, D.C. Read More

Every summer since 1967 the National Mall becomes possessed by Folklife fever as thousands of people throng the nation's front lawn for the Smithsonian Folklife Festival. The Festival, which normally starts at the end of June and goes on for about 10 days, unlocks a hidden passageway that transports visitors into smaller versions of communities that sustain Folklife as designed by the Smithsonian. Read More

The British Are Coming
We
Memories
Light up for Liberty

There is NO parking around the National Mall. The Park Service strongly recommends using the metro. The National Park Service recommends bringing plenty of fluids and sunscreen (SPF 45) with you when visiting the National Mall. The tends to be very hot with high humidity. Most first aid cases are heat related. Read More

Washington DC Fireworks Map

Visit DCGiftShop.com for Washington DC Gifts & collectibles.

CLICK HERE to view our FREE printable version of this map in Adobe Acrobat PDF.

Images help us remember special days and events. Come along on our journey as we capture memorable times and places in our Photo Galleries.

Why the Fourth?

Though the Fourth of July is iconic to Americans, some claim the date itself is somewhat arbitrary. New Englanders had been fighting Britain since April 1775. The first motion in the Continental Congress for independence was made on June 4, 1776. After hard debate, the Congress voted unanimously (discounting New York's courteous abstention), but secretly, for independence from Great Britain on July 2 (the Lee Resolution) and appointed Thomas Jefferson to write a draft. The Congress reworked the draft until a little after eleven o’clock, July 4, when twelve colonies voted for adoption (New York again courteously abstaining) and released a copy to the printers signed only by John Hancock, President of the Congress, and Secretary Charles Thomson. Philadelphia celebrated the Declaration with public readings and bonfires on July 8. Not until August 2 would a fair printing be signed by the members of the Congress, but even that was kept secret to protect the members from possible British reprisals.

John Adams, credited by Thomas Jefferson as the unofficial, tireless whip of the independence-minded, wrote to his wife Abigail on July 3, 1776:

"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."

Adams was off by two days, however. Certainly, the vote on July 2 was the decisive act. But July 4 is the date that Jefferson's stirring prose, as edited by the Congress, was officially adopted and was the first day Philadelphians heard any concrete news of independence from the Continental Congress, as opposed to rumors in the street about secret votes.

Observance

In 1777, thirteen guns were fired, once at morning and 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 the Fourth of July 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.

In 1779, July 4 fell on a Sunday. The holiday was celebrated on Monday, July 5.

In 1781, Massachusetts was the first legislature to recognize the Fourth of July.

In 1783, Moravians in Salem, North Carolina, held the first celebration of the Fourth of July in the country with a challenging music program assembled by Johann Friedrich Peter. This work was titled "The Psalm of Joy".

In 1791 was the first recorded use of the name "Independence Day".

In 1870, the U.S. Congress made Independence Day an unpaid holiday for federal employees.

In 1941, Congress changed Independence Day to a paid federal holiday. The residents of Vicksburg, Mississippi, celebrated the Fourth of July for the first time since July 4, 1863, when the Siege of Vicksburg ended with a Union victory during the American Civil War.