Fun Facts for the 4th

http://www.google.com/imgres

   Independence is upon us; the time of year when barbecues are loaded with food, families gather together, and fireworks fly in the skies. Sales are rolling in the shops to lure the masses in to spend and the freeways are a nightmare. Today's holiday weekend activities are hectic and often frustrating, but, were they always? Here's a few fun facts about Independence Days past.

• In 1777, thirteen gunshots 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.^[13]
• In 1778, General George Washington marked July 4 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.^[14]
• In 1779, July 4 fell on a Sunday. The holiday was celebrated on Monday, July 5.^[14]
• In 1781, the Massachusetts General Court became the first state legislature to recognize July 4 as a state celebration.^[14]
• In 1783, Moravians in Salem, North Carolina, held a celebration of July 4 with a challenging music program assembled by Johann Friedrich Peter. This work was titled "The Psalm of Joy".
• In 1791 the first recorded use of the name "Independence Day" occurred.
• In 1820 the first Fourth of July celebration was held in Eastport, Maine which remains the largest in the state.^[15]
• In 1870, the U.S. Congress made Independence Day an unpaid holiday for federal employees.^[16]
• In 1938, Congress changed Independence Day to a paid federal holiday.^[17
• ^Also: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.^[6]
•  
• ^{This was an excerpt from a letter John Adams wrote to his wife Abigail.}
•  
• ^{Hope you have a happy and safe - meaningful - celebration!}