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Fourth of July History & FactsRemarkable Observances of Fourth of
July
In 1777, British officers noted the firing of 13 guns, 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 with a double
ration of rum for his soldiers and an artillery salute. Across the
sea, ambassadors John Adams and Benjamin Franklin held a dinner for
their fellow Americans in Paris, France.
In 1779, the Fourth fell on a Sunday. The holiday was celebrated on
Monday, July 5.
In 1781, Massachusetts was the first legislature to recognize
Independence Day.
In 1791, First recorded under "Independence Day" name.[1]
In 1870, the U.S. Congress made July 4 an unpaid holiday for
federal employees.
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