Celebrating the Fourth of July

On July 4, 2026, our nation will celebrate 250 years of independence from Great Britain and the rule of kings, an end point to the first shot of the revolution fired on April 19, 1775.

As we approach this year’s July 4th holiday, here’s a look back at some noteworthy celebrations, customs, and events that happened on this important date in our nation’s history.

According to George Washington’s Mount Vernon official site (mountvernon.org), fireworks have been part of the celebration since the first Independence Day in 1776. Boston and Philadelphia held the first official celebrations on July 4, 1777, with bell ringing, cannon fire and fireworks.

Three men who helped shape the country’s founding, and who later served as president, died on July 4: Jefferson and Madison within hours of each other, in 1826, and James Monroe in 1831.

On July 4, 1827, “Manumission Day,” New York State officially abolished slavery and became the first state in the Union to do so.  At that time, “the number of enslaved men and women freed was roughly 4,600, or 11 percent of the Black population living in New York.”  (history.nycourts.gov)

Over time, many political and religious leaders chose the date to deliver “orations” in favor of, or in opposition to, causes important to them.  Preservation L.I. (preservationlongisland.org) reports an 1843 visit to Cold Spring Harbor by Sojourner Truth—born Isabella Baufree, c. 1797-1883—an early abolitionist leader and women’s rights advocate. At the Old Methodist Church, she rose early to help prepare food, then spoke at a temperance meeting. Many of these events were held in protest of the rowdy public behavior of people drinking and celebrating in New York City.

At the time, street booths set up along streets in lower Manhattan supplied crowds with food and drink, including such typical fare as pickled oysters, lobster, clams, pineapples, puddings and pies. Vast quantities of cider, rum, whiskey, as well as eggnog, helped engineer the sometimes overly zealous behavior among the participants—which, along with hot temperatures, noise from exploding barrels, cannon and gunfire—was viewed with alarm by temperance supporters who spoke out and demonstrated against them.

While a jubilant nation celebrated its centennial in 1876, July 4, 1881, was a somber occasion as reported in the New York Times. The nation was focused on President Garfield’s condition after he was shot in an assassination attempt two days earlier.  Headlines like “The Country’s Anxiety—a sad and mournful National Holiday,” proclaimed the mood at the time.  Reporting indicated a suspension of traditional activities and ‘‘fewer accidents and arrests than usual.’’

Garfield succumbed to his wounds on Sept. 19, 1881.

Once it was declared a paid federal holiday in 1938, Americans once again focused attention on family, freedom and fun.  The 1955 edition of Good Housekeeping featured a menu for a “progressive Fourth of July,” where each course was served in a different garden: “steamed clams with butter sauce and broth in paper cups with crisp crackers; barbecued salmon steaks; grilled ‘best corn ever’; olive coleslaw; blueberry pie with sour cream and hot coffee (instant).”

And, finally, from projects.newsday.com comes a pull-out feature, titled “A Day in the Life of LI July 4, 1969.”  Over a weekend with the hottest temperatures recorded to date on Long Island came stories of delays on the LIRR, heat, and the travails of the Marine Police as thousands sought relief cooling off on beaches and waterways.  As was typical of the time, news of the Vietnam War cast a shadow over the festivities, as reporter Paul Schreiber’s story, “Viet Fighting Claims 400th Victim From LI,” reminded readers of the price of freedom.