image by: HWN

HWN Suggests

Should We Celebrate The Fourth Of July Anymore?

As the sun starts to set on another Independence Day, the question arises whether the American experiment in self-government is going down with it.

A recent piece in Vox.com questions why we celebrate the Fourth and goes on to lament the fact that the former colonies secured their independence from Great Britain. Why? “The main benefit of the revolution to colonists was that it gave more political power to America's white male minority,” while delaying freedom for slaves and doing nothing to help women and Native Americans.

It’s an old story, really. Over a hundred years ago, historian Charles Beard wrote that the Constitution was written by wealthy men to protect their…

read full article

Featured

 How do we celebrate the Fourth of July when American freedom is disappearing?

The yearly commemoration has always marked a contradiction. But despair is not a strategy: this is a moment to create change.

Articles of Interest

Who Owns the Fourth of July?

Revising patriotism, the woke left spent last year tearing down monuments to revered Americans.

4th of July quiz! How well do you know Independence Day?

Test your knowledge of the 4th of July with this fun, interactive quiz.

“What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?”

Frederick Douglass | July 5, 1852

America declared independence on July 2—so why is the 4th a holiday?

FIREWORKS, FLAGS, AND hot dogs: The Fourth of July is steeped in patriotism and tradition, and celebrated as the day disgruntled American colonists broke ties with Great Britain and declared their intention to found a democratic nation of their own. But the history behind the holiday isn’t so clear-cut. The anniversary of American independence is July 2, not July 4. And the revolutionaries who founded the nation didn’t guarantee all of its residents “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

Are Fireworks Bad for the Environment? Here's What You Need to Know for July 4th

You have reef-safe sunscreen in your beach bag, a swimsuit made with recycled ocean plastic, and veggies ready to become kebabs on your BBQ. Looks like your July 4th is all sorted out. But don't forget about America's favorite Independence Day entertainment: fireworks. Are fireworks bad for the environment, or is it OK to join the American masses and set them off this 4th of July? Here's everything you need to know about fireworks and their impact on the Earth.

The Invention of the Fourth of July

The Fourth of July, or Independence Day, as it has come to be known, is perhaps the most and the least American of holidays. It is the most American because it marks the beginning of the nation, because it rapidly became an occasion for expressing what America is all about, and because it is locally and voluntarily observed. It is the least American because it was created mostly out of English material.

4th of July facts and history: 10 facts about Fourth of July Independence Day celebrations

The first celebration in 1777 featured the first stars and stripes, as the Continental Congress passed a resolution creating America’s first official flag the month before the anniversary.

America’s Founders Were Scarily Young on July 4, 1776

If the leaders of the Revolutionary War birthed America, then America’s parents were young. Very young. When the nascent United States declared its independence on July 4, 1776, its youngest signer, Edward Rutledge from South Carolina, was just 26. But Rutledge wasn’t the only young face to join the battle against the British.

Army ROTC Taught Me Never to Call Independence Day ‘the Fourth of July’

Why is the American holiday celebrating this reduced to its calendar date by seemingly everyone? This kind of labeling debases the magnitude of what the day represents. It is critical that we live up to the principles of America’s Founding Fathers. Don’t take freedom for granted. Start by teaching yourself to call the day by its name: Independence Day. You’ll remind yourself and others what the day represents.

Fireworks Send Thousands of Americans to the ER Around the Fourth of July

Before you fire off a bunch of bottle rockets this July Fourth, spare a thought for your fingers, toes and other extremities. Injuries from fireworks send thousands of Americans to the emergency room around this time of year, new data shows.

For some Americans, July 4 is a time not to celebrate, but reflect

While the Declaration of Independence declared "that all men are created equal," endowed with the right to "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness," the laws that followed did not apply to Black or Native Americans, nor women. Leaders often speak about the United States as a "melting pot," built by immigrants from all over the world, but the country has not always been welcoming to newcomers, either.

It took over a decade for the Declaration of Independence to matter in American life, Stanford historian says

Two Stanford historians discuss how the United States’ Declaration of Independence became one of the pillars of American civic life and other lesser-known historical facts about what happened on July 4, 1776.

Let’s cancel the 4th of July this year

As America reckons with its shameful past and piteous present, perhaps we should just skip the fireworks and hot dogs of our most patriotic holiday and commit to doing better.

The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro

A speech given at Rochester, New York, July 5, 1852.

What Remains of Thomas Jefferson?

Understanding the author of the Declaration of Independence means wrestling with his contradictory legacies as a visionary egalitarian and a racist slaveholder.

What the national anthem means now

Gabe Kapler, manager of the San Francisco Giants, has said he won’t stand on the field for the national anthem until he feels “better about the direction of our country.” His statement inspired me to ask some Southern Californians about how they feel — and what they do — during the playing of “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

What’s So Patriotic About Cookouts?

Plus, what’s with all the hamburgers, frankfurters, and wieners? This is America!

When the Fourth of July Was a Black Holiday

After the Civil War, African Americans in the South transformed Independence Day into a celebration of their newly won freedom.

Why Americans Once Held Separate Fourth of July Celebrations

Competing viewpoints over the direction of the nascent republic manifested in partisan Independence Day festivities during the late 18th century.

Why Do We Celebrate July 4 With Fireworks?

The Independence Day tradition dates nearly as far back as the country's beginning and was proposed by one of the Founding Fathers.

Why July 4th is the wrong date to celebrate Independence Day

As you fire up your barbecue and get ready for the fireworks, consider this – July 4th is actually the wrong date to celebrate American Independence.

Resources

10 Things You Didn't Know About the Fourth of July

But with all that history, you'd be forgiven if you didn't know quite everything about July 4. So from the true story behind the signing of the Declaration of Independence, to some staggering hot dog statistics, here are 10 things you might not know about the Fourth of July.

9 Reasons Why I Don’t Celebrate the 4th of July

After 1776, it took nearly another 100 years before my ancestors technically gained their freedom in 1865. And a whole heap of pain, trauma, and oppression maintained during those years when only white Americans were liberated from someone else’s rule. To summarize my rejection of this holiday, here are 9 reasons why I don’t celebrate the 4th of July...