Happy #IndependenceDay2020! Today, Washingtonians expect fireworks bursting high above the National Mall on the Fourth of July, but what would they have expected 150 years ago? 1/4
Image: White House Historical Association
Image: White House Historical Association
As the traditions of the United States matured over the course of the nineteenth century, presidential administrations celebrated the Fourth of July in different ways. 2/4
Image: Library of Congress
Image: Library of Congress
In 1801, President Jefferson began a tradition of public receptions at the Executive Mansion that endured until after the Civil War. The President’s House was opened to the public, and the State Dining Room was filled with punch bowls and plates of sweets for all to enjoy. 3/4
The United States Marine Band gave summer concerts on the South Lawn of the White House. This illustration of a Fourth of July celebration from 1868 depicts how nineteenth-century Americans celebrated the Fourth at the White House. 4/4
Image: White House Collection
Image: White House Collection
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