Fourth of July Traditions Link Americans with Country’s Past
by Andrew Rafferty, Staff Writer, NBC News
Fireworks, parades, and cookouts, not to mention red, white and blue: The things Americans todat most closely associate with the Fourth of July have been surprisingly constant since the country’s founding in 1776.
But how Americans have celebrated the Founding Fathers’ breakup with King George III hasn’t always been static, and the choices citizens have made over 237 years offer and indication of where the country has stood socially, politically and culturally.
“It is a barometer of changing American life,” said Matthew Dennis, author of the book “Red, White and Blue Letter Days: An American Calendar.”
Here’s a look at how Fourth of July traditions have changed along with the country.
