Happy 4th

Happy Fourth of July Everyone!

SOME TRIVIA:

• 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.^[11]
• 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.^[12]
• In 1779, July 4 fell on a Sunday. The holiday was celebrated on Monday, July 5.^[12]
• In 1781, the Massachusetts General Court became the first state legislature to recognize July 4 as a state celebration.^[12]
• 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 1870, the U.S. Congress made Independence Day an unpaid holiday for federal employees.^[13]
• In 1938, Congress changed Independence Day to a paid federal holiday.^[14]