By Sherry L. Brukbacher

It’s a birthday party for everyone, young and old. It takes place at fairgrounds and parks, on beaches and streets, and in people’s backyards. It is the Fourth of July — Independence Day — the birthday of the United States of America.

July 4, 1776, was the culmination of a hard-fought battle for Americans’ right to self-governance and democratic rule. The U.S. supports people around the world today fighting for these same freedoms.

On July 3, 1776, expecting that the Continental Congress would adopt the Declaration of Independence, John Adams wrote to his wife that the day “will be celebrated, by succeeding generations, as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with [shows], games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires and illuminations from one end of this continent to the other from this time forward forever more.”

(© Jonathan Bachman/Discovery Communications/AP Images)

(© Jonathan Bachman/Discovery Communications/AP Images)

A father and daughter enjoy the Fourth of July in Waveland, Mississippi.

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(© Roy Rochlin/Getty Images)

(© Roy Rochlin/Getty Images)

New York City’s Fourth of July fireworks seen from a rooftop in Long Island City.

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(© C. Taylor Crothers/Getty Images)

(© C. Taylor Crothers/Getty Images)

Meanwhile, east of the Hudson River in New York City, people sprawl on the grass as fireworks cast an eerie glow over the celebrations below.

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(© Mel Evans/AP Images)

(© Mel Evans/AP Images)

Flags fly high over celebrations at picnics and cookouts, reminding everyone of America’s national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner.” In the song, the flag represents American hope and perseverance against all odds. This woman plants flags in the ground at Liberty State Park in Jersey City, New Jersey, in preparation for crowds that will come to watch fireworks in front of the nearby Statue of Liberty.

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(© John Locher/AP Images)

(© John Locher/AP Images)

Fourth of July parties in high-rise buildings give guests a bird’s-eye view. Here spectators watch fireworks from a Las Vegas hotel. Americans have celebrated with fireworks since 1777, when Philadelphia marked the first anniversary of the Declaration of Independence with a display over Independence Hall.

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(© Pat Carter/AP Images)

(© Pat Carter/AP Images)

Americans love a parade, and there are probably more of them on Independence Day than any other day of the year. Anyone may join in, from marching bands to horseback riders — and little ones on tricycles in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, Florida.

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(© Sarah L. Voisin/The Washington Post/Getty Images)

(© Sarah L. Voisin/The Washington Post/Getty Images)

Maissa Mohammed, originally from Sudan, takes the oath of allegiance during a naturalization ceremony at George Washington’s Mount Vernon estate in Virginia July 4, 2021. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services hosted more than 170 naturalization ceremonies across the United States June 30–July 7 in 2021 for more than 9,400 new citizens.

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(© Lisa Lake/Getty Images)

(© Lisa Lake/Getty Images)

Concerts are plentiful on Independence Day. From jazz to country and classical to rock ’n’ roll, music reflects the diversity of America’s cultural traditions. Here, music lovers gather at a July 4, 2021, concert at the Mann Center for the Performing Arts in Philadelphia.

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(© Charlie Riedel/AP Images)

(© Charlie Riedel/AP Images)

Baseball and Independence Day go together like hot dogs and buns. The game spread in popularity from New York to the rest of the country after the Civil War, helping to reunite the nation. This Kansas City Royals player watches fireworks after a game at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri.

A version of this story was previously published June 26, 2019.

Banner image: The 113th annual Huntington Beach Fourth of July Parade on the Pacific Coast Highway in California July 4, 2017. (© Jeff Gritchen/Digital First Media/Orange County Register/Getty Images)

The original article is here on ShareAmerica.