Assignment on Fourth of July Celebrations in the 19th Century

Historical Context in which Fourth of July Celebrations Emerged

The Fourth of July or more famous as Independence Day for the United States was actually has turned out to become a federal holiday for the country ever since 1941. However, the traditional event in celebrating this remarkable day was started from the 18^th century along with the American Revolution. Exactly on 2^nd July 1776, there was a vote for an independence favor conducted by the Continental Congress. Two days after that, the representatives from 13 associations have implemented a historic document conscripted by Thomas Jefferson titled “The Declaration of Independence.” As a result, ever since 1776 until the present day, the Fourth of July has turned out to become a remarkable, must-celebrate day as the day of American Independence birth. The celebrations have always involved exciting festivals such as fireworks, pageants, along with various concerts. In addition to this, the American families also celebrate the day with family gatherings along with making barbecue parties. Additionally, the first state which has eventually made the Fourth of July as an official holiday in the state in 1778.

Right after the Revolutionary War, the people in America have endured celebrating their Independence Day in every single year with such celebrations that allowed the numbers of politicians to generate a unity feeling amongst the American citizens. In fact, in the last years in the 18^th century, the Federalist Party along with the Democratic-Republicans, which were the two main political parties at that time, had ascended to start in celebrating the Fourth of July in some big cities. Thus, the patriotic commemoration tradition has turned out to become even further extensive right after the war between the United States against Great Britain which took place in 1812. Later on, exactly in 1870, the United States Congress has announced the Fourth of July to become a federal holiday (Hawken).

Throughout the years, even though there might be a decline in the political significance of this holiday, but still, Independence Day has remained a fundamental and essential holiday in the United States which also acts as a patriotism symbol as well. Moreover, ever since the 19^th century, the Fourth of July has become the main focus of holiday activities or a common holiday for all the American families to gather together. The broadest sig for the Fourth of July is definitely the American flag, along with a communal musical addition which plays the United States national anthem “The Star-Spangle Banner” (Dennis).

The 19th Century Celebrations

It’s all started when the Federal government assigned John Trumbull in 1819, who has already famous for his historical themes paintings to accomplish some works for the Capitol Building pavilion located in Washington DC. The paintings have depicted the Declaration of Independence presentation by the committee that has conscripted the document. The committee was included Thomas Jefferson, Roger Sherman, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Robert Livingstone, and also John Hancock. During creating this iconic scenario, Trumbull has compacted some different events into an exclusive, dramatic scene.

On the other hand, John Lewis Krimmel who was a ‘genre painter’, has presented a different work to represent this historical moment. If Trumbull was creating a great painting which present the Fourth of July as an extraordinary historical event, Krimmel was presenting it in daily life scenarios. Hence, this work was turned out to become a popular one in a celebration of Independence Day located in Center Square, Philadelphia. An army officer was placed at the core of the scenario, together with a marine officer who drew attention between one another to the tents decorations on their right and left side. The decorations were presenting scenarios of the 1812 War where the United States gained its victory. Completing the scenes, there were some celebrators who enjoy food, drink, music, and dancing, while in the background, some militiamen were trying to arrange a parade (Maier).

A few years later, exactly in 1826, the Fourth of July was celebrated within a different style. In this era, people were celebrating Independence Day by remembering the great efforts of the figures who have presented this Independence to all the American citizens. One of the celebrations was mentioned as a speech performed by Daniel Webster on August 2, which memorized the citizens in the death of Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, were eventually died on 4^th July.

Moving on to a few years ahead, before the formation of a Labor Day, all of the workers in the United States were considered the Fourth of July as their official holiday. The Fourth of July was regarded as a day where all the employers were forced to learn in giving their workers an off day. At that time, a huge number of workers joint together with a purpose to uphold their welfare, respect for the public perception, the appropriate foundation of a Government republic form. Completing this event, there were many mechanics and craft workers who did a parade that presenting the products and tools of their hand-made crafts. Throughout the 1820s and 1830s, the United States workers have arranged the first labor unions in the US. In some other cities, the workers were establishing ‘general trade unions’ to combine all the small unions related to the specific industries or crafts. Moreover, the Boston Trades’ Union was also organized and addressed in this Declaration of Rights a few moments before the Fourth of July in the same year.

In the year of 1837, the Fourth of July celebration in New York City was filled up with the troops of volunteers and militia who were well-dressed and well-equipped, gathering together in the park and some other squares, marching independently to honor the day. There were flags hang out on each window or carried along by some little kids on the street. In the evening, there was a special dine held in the City Hall, which filled with American celebrities, the mayor, and some business persons (Burstein).

The year 1848 was marked as the most well-known different declaration of Independence which came along with the result of the initial convention of women’s rights. The event led by Lucretia Mott, together with Elizabeth Cady Stanton took place at the Seneca Falls, New York. Both of this amazing women were acts as representatives at this convention that disputed the infirmities the women had to suffer under the legislations of coverture within the United States rules, and then encouraged to make the movement intended for describing that both men and women are created equal, and for this, they are gifted with certain absolute and equal rights (Foner).

The Fourth of July in 1852 was marked by a speech made by Frederick Douglass who was an African American that eventually made it escape from slave and abolitionist. The speech was made to condemn the slavery of Afro American that was still ongoing at that time, Douglass was clearly presented that there is still a presence of slavery which contrast with the term of Independent for the country itself. In addition to this, in 1854, there was another speech that criticized the state regarding the Indian people who were appeared to have no freedom in America at that time. This is a quite ironic thing the Indian were also supporting as the warriors who dies in forming the country (Travers).

The celebration of 4^th July in 1864 was mentioned with a great horror since there was the roar of cannon, guns, and pistol whole along the street, thus, the people were unable to feel patriotic on the Fourth of July. However, the Fourth of July 1866 was mentioned as an extraordinary day in United States history. This was the day where the American citizens were rejoicing their anniversary day to commemorate their emancipation.

Then the celebration of 4^th July in the year of 1868 was filled with fireworks on the night skies in the United States. A more remarkable celebration of 4^th July was presented with the statue of ‘The Freed Slave’ made by Francesco Pezzicar which gained huge attention from the Americans, whether the ones who appreciate or the ones who complained about the statue due to it presented as a ‘Frenchy Negro.’ Then, in 1983, the celebration of 4^th July was presented with reading the Emancipation Proclamation. The Fourth of July in 1903 was remarked with the protest derived from the Indian people who complained about the efforts of Federal agents in eliminating the native culture of Indian. Finally, in the late 19^th century, the celebrations of 4^th July have turned out to become connected with arguments around immigration and also integrated within American society.

The Fourth of July celebrations in these modern days have represented in whole over the country with fireworks, carnivals, parades, barbecues, picnics, theme park, concerts, baseball games, family gatherings, political dialogues, as well as ceremonials, along with numerous other public and private occasions which aim to celebrate the history, government, and of course, the civilizations of the United States.

Works Cited on Fourth of July Celebrations in the 19th Century

Burstein, Andrew. America's Jubilee: A Generation Remembers the Revolution After 50 Years of Independence. Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 2007.

Dennis, Matthew. Red, White, and Blue Letter Days: An American Calendar. Cornell University Press, 2018.

Foner, Philip Sheldon. We, the Other People. Alternative Declarations of Independence by Labor Groups, Farmers, Woman's Rights Advocates, Socialists, and Blacks, 1829- 1975. University of Illinois Press, 1976.

Hawken, Henry A. Trumpets of glory: Fourth of July orations, 1786-1861. Salmon Brook Historical Society, 1976.

Maier, Pauline. American Scripture: Making the Declaration of Independence. Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 2012.

Travers, Len. Celebrating the Fourth: Independence Day and the Rites of Nationalism in the Early Republic. Univ of Massachusetts Press, 1999.