HISTORY OF FIREWORKS / SIGNERS OF THE DECLARATION OF  INDEPENDENCE / 
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The Story of Independence Day and America's Birthday

Independence Day is the national holiday of the United States of America commemorating the signing of the Declaration of Independence by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

At the time of the signing the US consisted of 13 colonies under the rule of England's King George III. There was growing unrest in the colonies concerning the taxes that had to be paid to England. This was commonly referred to as "Taxation without Representation" as the colonists did not have any representation in the English Parliament and had no say in what went on. As the unrest grew in the colonies, King George sent extra troops to help control any rebellion. In 1774 the 13 colonies sent delegates to Philadelphia Pennsylvania to form the First Continental Congress. The delegates were unhappy with England, but were not yet ready to declare war.

In April 1775 as the King's troops advanced on Concord Massachusetts Paul Revere would sound the alarm that "The British are coming, the British are coming" as he rode his horse through the late night streets. The battle of Concord and its "shot heard round the world" would mark the unofficial beginning of the colonies war for Independence.

The following May the colonies again sent delegates to the Second Continental Congress. For almost a year the congress tried to work out its differences with England, again without formally declaring war.

By June 1776 their efforts had become hopeless and a committee was formed to compose a formal declaration of independence. Headed by Thomas Jefferson, the committee included John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Philip Livingston and Roger Sherman. Thomas Jefferson was chosen to write the first draft which was presented to the congress on June 28. After various changes a vote was taken late in the afternoon of July 4th. Of the 13 colonies, 9 voted in favor of the Declaration, 2 - Pennsylvania and South Carolina voted No, Delaware undecided and New York abstained.

To make it official John Hancock, President of the Continental Congress, signed the Declaration of Independence. It is said that John Hancock signed his name "with a great flourish" so "King George can read that without spectacles!."

The following day copies of the Declaration were distributed. The first newspaper to print the Declaration was the Pennsylvania Evening Post on July 6, 1776. On July 8th the Declaration had its first public reading in Philadelphia's Independence Square. Twice that day the Declaration was read to cheering crowds and pealing church bells. Even the bell in Independence Hall was rung. The "Province Bell" would later be renamed "Liberty Bell" after its inscription -

Proclaim Liberty Throughout All the Land Unto All the Inhabitants Thereof

And although the signing of the Declaration was not completed until August, the 4th of July has been accepted as the official anniversary of United States independence. The first Independence Day celebration took place the following year - July 4 1777. By the early 1800s the traditions of parades, picnics, and fireworks were established as the way to celebrate America's birthday. And although fireworks have been banned in most places because of their danger, most towns and cities usually have big firework displays for all to see and enjoy.

I can't imagine the Fourth of July without fireworks! Fireworks displays actually have a history. According to scholars, war rockets and explosives were first made in China during the 6th century. The first fireworks were probably firecrackers, also known as Chinese crackers. Firecrackers are still used in China — and elsewhere — to celebrate weddings, births and Chinese New Year.

In the 14th century, Europeans began using gunpowder for weapons, as well as for pyrotechnics shows for entertainment; Italians and Germans were recognized as the masters of the fireworks game.

Some medieval fireworks featured living people holding sky rockets and other fireworks. They were called "green men" because they placed leaves and greenery all over their bodies to ward off burns.

In England, a fireworks display helped celebrate the 1486 wedding of Henry VII, and by 1749 fireworks were such the rage that composer George Friedrich Handel created a symphony called Music for the Royal Fireworks.

Fireworks finally made a big bang in the U.S. before the Revolutionary War and fireworks displays have been synonymous with the Fourth of July since the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The biggest U.S. fireworks display ever was staged for the centenary of the Statue of Liberty in 1986, which brought together Zambelli, Grucci and Souza, the biggest names in modern-day American pyrotechnics.

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