A forgotten 1776 celebration launched America’s booming fireworks tradition

America’s 250th day gives Americans an accidental to observe important stories that led to our nation’s birth. One lesser-known lawsuit takes thing highly acquainted to america contiguous — fireworks — and shows thing that is often forgotten—the tyranny and grievances starring to American independency successful the archetypal place.

Though fireworks displays are highly fashionable connected July 4 each year, down the amusive and frivolity is an root communicative that amazingly started not connected July 4 but connected May 16, 1776, which I wrote astir successful my caller book, A Great and Grateful Nation: From Grievance to Gratitude and my children’s book, First Fireworks for Independence. This makes May 16, 2026 the 250th day of America’s fireworks tradition.

Weeks earlier the Continental Congress declared independency from England, 112 men passim Virginia gathered successful Williamsburg for an important meeting. Among them were the up-and-coming James Madison and George Washington’s brother, John Augustine Washington. General Washington was with the service successful New York astatine the time.

LIBERTY AND UNITY: WHAT AMERICA’S 250TH ANNIVERSARY ASKS OF US TODAY

Why did they meet? Virginians everyplace were surviving successful chaos successful 1776. Gone was their legislative body, the House of Burgesses. The royal politician had disbanded it. Similar to the plight of the Iranian radical today, the authorities that did beryllium was attacking them. Lord Dunmore, Virginia’s royal governor, was terrorizing Virginians. Aboard an equipped ship, helium was traveling done the rivers burning farms and murdering citizens.

"By a precocious enactment each these colonies are declared to beryllium successful rebellion, and retired of the extortion of the British Crown, our properties subjected to confiscation," the Virginians wrote successful the solution they adopted connected May 15, 1776.

Less than a twelvemonth earlier successful July 1775, the Continental Congress had sent King George III an olive subdivision petition seeking to "restore bid and information to America nether the British government." Refusing to work it, the king had declared warfare instead.

These Virginians wrote successful their 1776 solution that "instead of a redress of grievances" from the king’s "imperious and vindictive administration" the British subject had alternatively "increased insult, oppression, and a vigorous effort to impact our full destruction."

THE UNWINNABLE WAR AMERICA'S FOUNDING FATHERS FOUGHT AND WON CHANGED HUMAN HISTORY FOREVER

Their choices were dire. "In this authorities of utmost danger, we person nary alternate near but an abject submission to the volition of those overbearing tyrants oregon a full separation from the crown and authorities of Great Britain."

Voting unanimously to state Virginia autarkic from England, they called connected the Continental Congress to bash the aforesaid for the 13 colonies.

"That the delegates appointed to correspond this colony successful General Congress [the Continental Congress] beryllium instructed to suggest to that respectable assemblage TO DECLARE THE UNITED COLONIES FREE AND INDEPENDENT STATES."

These Virginians celebrated the adjacent day. On May 16, 1776, the militia paraded done Williamsburg. Offering toasts to General Washington and for an American victory, they held a feast. They besides replaced the British emblem atop of the governor’s palace with the Grand Union Flag, which featured thing new: 13 reddish and achromatic stripes to correspond the 13 colonies.

Best of all, they ended the time successful a spectacular mode with aureate fireworks that night. "…[T]he evening concluded with illuminations [fireworks], and different demonstrations of joy, everyone seeming pleased that the domination of Great Britain was present astatine an end, truthful wickedly and tyrannically exercised for these 12 oregon thirteen years past, notwithstanding our repeated prayers and remonstrances of redress."

Their exuberance reflected their gratitude for uniting unneurotic and taking this courageous step. Over the adjacent respective weeks, 13 newspapers, including 4 Pennsylvania newspapers, reported connected Virginia’s festivities, which whitethorn person inspired John Adams to foretell however independency would beryllium celebrated everyplace erstwhile the Continental Congress declared independence.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINION 

Adams wrote that the "memorable epoch successful the past of America … volition beryllium celebrated, by succeeding generations, arsenic the large day festival. It ought to beryllium commemorated arsenic the time of deliverance by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to beryllium solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires and illuminations from 1 extremity of this continent to the different from this clip guardant everlastingly more."

When the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence connected July 4, 1776, they turned the 13 colonies into the 13 United States of America. What did the Virginians bash erstwhile they heard the news? They launched fireworks again successful Williamsburg.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

A twelvemonth aboriginal connected July 4, 1777, the nation’s archetypal anniversary, the radical of Boston and Philadelphia launched fireworks to observe independency for the archetypal clip there. More cities joined successful until fireworks became the rule, not the exception, for however Americans rejoice each twelvemonth connected July 4.

As the United States celebrates 250 years of independency successful 2026, remembering the founding generation’s grievances and the root of fireworks helps america to beryllium grateful for the founders’ courageousness to state independency successful the archetypal place. As we marque America large again today, these stories spell a agelong mode to amusement what made America large successful the archetypal place, which is thing to celebrate.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM JANE COOK