Happy Independence Day!

Founding Father John Adams got our national celebration of Independence Day only half right. Yes, we celebrate with “pomp and parade,” but not on the day he predicted.

The Second Continental Congress voted for independence from Great Britain on July 2nd, 1776. The next day, John Adams wrote home to his wife Abigail:

“The second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. 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.”

Independence Day has come to be celebrated not on the second day of July but on the fourth, and nowhere is it celebrated with more pomp and parade, or with more impressive displays of guns, bells, bonfires and illuminations than on the National Mall.

Happy Fourth of July to all friends of the National Mall, and to all Americans!

You can learn more about this year’s Fourth of July activities in the nation’s capital at “20+ Ways to Celebrate Independence Day in Washington D.C.” and explore the history of Independence Day celebrations at The National Park Service website.

Photo Gallery: Fireworks on the National Mall

  • Fireworks lighting up the night sky near the U.S. Capitol and Washington Monument, Washington, D.C. (Library of Congress)
    Fireworks lighting up the night sky near the U.S. Capitol and Washington Monument, Washington, D.C. (Library of Congress)
  • Fireworks are seen from the U.S. Marine Corps Memorial area, in Arlington, Va. on July 4, 2013. (USDA photo by Lance Cheung)
    Fireworks are seen from the U.S. Marine Corps Memorial area, in Arlington, Va. on July 4, 2013. (USDA photo by Lance Cheung)
  • President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, left, and Malia Obama, center, watch the Fourth of July fireworks from the roof of the White House, July 4, 2014. (White House Photographer)
    President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, left, and Malia Obama, center, watch the Fourth of July fireworks from the roof of the White House, July 4, 2014. (White House Photographer)
  • Fireworks by the MLK Memorial (Courtesyy National Park Service)
    Fireworks by the MLK Memorial (Courtesyy National Park Service)
  • Fireworks light the night sky above the National Mall's World War II Memorial and Washington Monument at the conclusion of the U.S. Air Force Band Performance on July 4. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Staff Sgt. Nichelle Anderson)
    Fireworks light the night sky above the National Mall's World War II Memorial and Washington Monument at the conclusion of the U.S. Air Force Band Performance on July 4. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Staff Sgt. Nichelle Anderson)
  • National Mall fireworks (Courtesy Smithsonian Institution Archives)
    National Mall fireworks (Courtesy Smithsonian Institution Archives)
  • Fireworks light the Washington, D.C. skyline, July 4th, 2013, in honor of America’s Independence Day. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Nesha Humes)
    Fireworks light the Washington, D.C. skyline, July 4th, 2013, in honor of America’s Independence Day. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Nesha Humes)
  • Fireworks light the night sky above the National Mall's World War II Memorial and Washington Monument at the conclusion of the U.S. Air Force Band Performance. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Staff Sgt. Nichelle Anderson)
    Fireworks light the night sky above the National Mall's World War II Memorial and Washington Monument at the conclusion of the U.S. Air Force Band Performance. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Staff Sgt. Nichelle Anderson)
  • Washington DC is a spectacular place to celebrate July 4th! The National Mall, with Washington DC’s monuments and the U. S. Capitol in the background. (Courtesy Library of Congress)
    Washington DC is a spectacular place to celebrate July 4th! The National Mall, with Washington DC’s monuments and the U. S. Capitol in the background. (Courtesy Library of Congress)
  • Fireworks burst above the Washington Monument in celebration of America's 229th birthday. (Courtesy U.S. Navy)
    Fireworks burst above the Washington Monument in celebration of America's 229th birthday. (Courtesy U.S. Navy)
  • National Mall fireworks (National Park Service)
    National Mall fireworks (National Park Service)
  • A large audience of White House Staff members watch Fourth of July fireworks from the grounds at the White House. (Courtesy White Houe Press Photographer)
    A large audience of White House Staff members watch Fourth of July fireworks from the grounds at the White House. (Courtesy White Houe Press Photographer)
  • Fireworks begin as the Killers play on the South Lawn of the White House during the Fourth of July celebration. (Official White House photo)
    Fireworks begin as the Killers play on the South Lawn of the White House during the Fourth of July celebration. (Official White House photo)
  • Washington, D.C. July 4th fireworks (Carol M. Highsmith)
    Washington, D.C. July 4th fireworks (Carol M. Highsmith)
  • Fourth of July on the National Mall (Courtesy United States Park Police)
    Fourth of July on the National Mall (Courtesy United States Park Police)
  • A crowd watches the end of Brad Paisley performance on the South Lawn of the White House as fireworks erupt over the National Mall, July 4, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
    A crowd watches the end of Brad Paisley performance on the South Lawn of the White House as fireworks erupt over the National Mall, July 4, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
  • July 4th fireworks highlight the Washington Monument and the Smithsonian Folklife Festival's Philippines Chapel in 1998.
    July 4th fireworks highlight the Washington Monument and the Smithsonian Folklife Festival's Philippines Chapel in 1998.
  • National Mall fireworks (National Park Service)
    National Mall fireworks (National Park Service)
  • National Mall fireworks (National Park Service)
    National Mall fireworks (National Park Service)
  • Fourth of July at the White House in 2018 (Courtesy White House Photo)
    Fourth of July at the White House in 2018 (Courtesy White House Photo)
 

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