Excerpt from Independence Day Celebrations: The New and More Glorious Fourth; An American Holiday; A Fourth of July Without Fireworks; How One Town Spends the Fourth; Celebrating the Fourth in Large Cities An Italian immigrant, a native of a small town on the Riviera, told the writer with great enthusiasm of the care with which their popular celebrations were planned. A committee had the entire affair in charge. In the evening, fireworks were set Off, at a specially selected point of vantage, so as to secure a multifold re ection in the waters Of the Mediterranean. Here is certainly an improvement on the promiscuous discharge of rockets, Roman candles, bombs, and other pyrotechnics, in our American cities. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works."

Details Fourth of July celebrations from the first days of independence through the Bicentennials charting the growth and evolution of the holiday from generation to generation

This is the first comprehensive reference work on America's Independence Day. Bringing attention to persons, places, and events of historical significance, the book focuses on the Fourth of July as it has been commemorated over the span of more than two centuries, starting with the first celebrations: public readings of the Declaration of Independence that occurred within days of its signing. Biographical sketches feature presidents (and how each celebrated the Fourth) and other politicians, famous soldiers, educators, engineers, scientists, athletes, musicians, and literary figures. Other topics include parks, monuments and statues dedicated on the Fourth; famous speeches and the personalities behind their stories; and general subjects of interest including education, abolition, temperance, African Americans, Native Americans, wars, transportation and holiday catastrophes.