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Long Island 4th Fourth of July Independence Day Events - Fireworks Celebration Guide Long Island New York
Celebrating 4th Fourth of July Independence Day Day on Long Island, New York |
Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain. Independence Day is commonly associated with fireworks, parades, barbecues, carnivals, fairs, picnics, concerts, baseball games, family reunions, and political speeches and ceremonies, in addition to various other public and private events celebrating the history, government and traditions of the United States. Independence Day is the national day of the United States
[ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independence_Day_%28United_States%29 ]. |
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4th Fourth of July Independence Day Events - Fireworks Celebration Guide
There are many fireworks displays and celebrations across Long Island to celebrate Independence Day and our freedom.
Click here for 4th Fourth of July Independence Day Events Fireworks Celebration Guide Events on Long Island, New York. |
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The History of Fourth of July Independence Day
Variously known as the Fourth of July and Independence
Day, July 4th has been a federal holiday in the United
States since 1941, but the tradition of Independence Day
celebrations goes back to the 18th century and the
American Revolution (1775-83). In June 1776,
representatives of the 13 colonies then fighting in the
revolutionary struggle weighed a resolution that would
declare their independence from Great Britain. On July
2nd, the Continental Congress voted in favor of
independence, and two days later its delegates adopted
the Declaration of Independence, a historic document
drafted by Thomas Jefferson. From 1776 until the present
day, July 4th has been celebrated as the birth of
American independence, with typical festivities ranging
from fireworks, parades and concerts to more casual
family gatherings and barbecues.
The Birth of American Independence
When the initial battles in the Revolutionary War broke
out in April 1775, few colonists desired complete
independence from Great Britain, and those who did were
considered radical. By the middle of the following year,
however, many more colonists had come to favor
independence, thanks to growing hostility against
Britain and the spread of revolutionary sentiments such
as those expressed in Thomas Paine's bestselling
pamphlet "Common Sense," published in early 1776. On
June 7, when the Continental Congress met at the
Pennsylvania State House (later Independence Hall) in
Philadelphia, the Virginia delegate Richard Henry Lee
introduced a motion calling for the colonies'
independence. Amid heated debate, Congress postponed the
vote on Lee's resolution, but appointed a five-man
committee--including Thomas Jefferson of Virginia, John
Adams of Massachusetts, Roger Sherman of Connecticut,
Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania and Robert R.
Livingston of New York--to draft a formal statement
justifying the break with Great Britain.
On July 2nd, the Continental Congress voted in favor of
Lee's resolution for independence in a near-unanimous
vote (the New York delegation abstained, but later voted
affirmatively). On that day, John Adams wrote to his
wife Abigail that July 2 "will be celebrated, by
succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary
Festival" and that the celebration should include "Pomp
and Parade...Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and
Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the
other." On July 4th, the Congress formally adopted the
Declaration of Independence, which had been written
largely by Jefferson. Though the vote for actual
independence took place on July 2nd, from then on the
4th became the day that was celebrated as the birth of
American independence.
Early Fourth of July Celebrations
In the pre-Revolutionary years, colonists had held
annual celebrations of the king's birthday, which
traditionally included the ringing of bells, bonfires,
processions and speechmaking. By contrast, during the
summer of 1776 some colonists celebrated the birth of
independence by holding mock funerals for King George
III, as a way of symbolizing the end of the monarchy's
hold on America and the triumph of liberty. Festivities
including concerts, bonfires, parades and the firing of
cannons and muskets usually accompanied the first public
readings of the Declaration of Independence, beginning
immediately after its adoption. Philadelphia held the
first annual commemoration of independence on July 4,
1777, while Congress was still occupied with the ongoing
war. George Washington issued double rations of rum to
all his soldiers to mark the anniversary of independence
in 1778, and in 1781, several months before the key
American victory at Yorktown, Massachusetts became the
first state to make July 4th an official state holiday.
After the Revolutionary War, Americans continued to
commemorate Independence Day every year, in celebrations
that allowed the new nation's emerging political leaders
to address citizens and create a feeling of unity. By
the last decade of the 18th century, the two major
political parties - Federalists and
Democratic-Republicans--that had arisen began holding
separate Independence Day celebrations in many large
cities.
July 4th Becomes A National Holiday
The tradition of patriotic celebration became even more
widespread after the War of 1812, in which the United
States again faced Great Britain. In 1870, the U.S.
Congress made July 4th a federal holiday; in 1941, the
provision was expanded to grant a paid holiday to all
federal employees. Over the years, the political
importance of the holiday would decline, but
Independence Day remained an important national holiday
and a symbol of patriotism.
Falling in mid-summer, the Fourth of July has since the
late 19th century become a major focus of leisure
activities and a common occasion for family
get-togethers, often involving fireworks and outdoor
barbecues. The most common symbol of the holiday is the
American flag, and a common musical accompaniment is
"The Star-Spangled Banner," the national anthem of the
United States.
Source
http://www.history.com/topics/july-4th
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