History of Fireworks in the United States

 

Blogger: Amber Schamel

 Happy early Independence Day, everyone! To honor the celebration, I thought we would take a historical dive into one of the most iconic elements of this holiday: fireworks.

Fun fact: The official name for "fireworks" is actually "pyrotechnics."

An illustration of a fireworks display from the 1628-1643
edition of the Ming dynasty book Jin Ping Mei.
Public Domain

The first known fireworks originated in China. Most historians believe during the Song dynasty, around 950 AD. The first versions of this incredible invention placed an early form of gunpowder inside a hollow bamboo rod.  Pyrotechnicians in China were respected for their work, and the development of such low-level explosives became an independent profession included in many displays and celebrations. 

Fireworks were introduced to the Europeans by Marco Polo in the thirteenth century, so by the time the pilgrims came to the United States, they brought with them a love of fireworks. They were used in numerous celebrations before Independence Day. So what made them so iconic with July 4th?

 

An etching of the Royal Fireworks display -1749.
Public Domain

Fun fact: Americans spend around $1 Billion dollars on fireworks each July 4th.    

Well, fireworks seemed to be in the plan from the very beginning. John Adams, when writing to his wife about the adoption of the Declaration said this:

"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 Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more." (Emphasis mine.)

 Apparently when John Adams envisioned Independence Day anniversaries, he saw fireworks in his mind's eye. Not surprising then, is that the very first July 4 celebration included a large display of fireworks, along with salutes from cannons. The cannons were phased out, however the fireworks stuck. By 1898 a reporter noted that “the American Fourth of July is the greatest event the maker of firecrackers knows.” 

Fun Fact: Pyrotechnicians did not develop colored fireworks until the 1830's.

The development of fireworks is not only a profession and art, but also a science. If you're curious about how fireworks get their colors, this invention was made by Italian pyrotechnicians in 1930. Here's a Youtube Video explaining the science behind firework colors.

Fireworks behind the Washington Monument
Public Domain

 Not-So-Fun-Fact: Did you know that Cherry Bombs were first used as weapons during the American Civil War? They were banned in 1966, however Keith Moon weaponized them again  by using illegal cherry bombs to blow up toilets in hotels.

Fireworks are amazing fun, and a wonderful way to celebrate Independence Day! But please also remember to be very careful. In 2019, the Consumer Product Safety Commission reported 10,000 injuries from July 4th fireworks. 36% of those were children under the age of 15. So PLEASE, make sure you and your children are safe while celebrating this year. 

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Two-time winner of the Christian Indie Award for historical fiction, Amber Schamel writes riveting stories that bring HIStory to life. She has a passion for travel, history, books and her Savior. This combination results in what her readers call "historical fiction at its finest".  

She lives in Colorado Springs near her favorite mountain, in a small “castle” with her prince charming. Between enjoying life as a new mom, and spinning stories out of soap bubbles, Amber loves to connect with readers and hang out on Goodreads with other bookish peoples.

Amber is a proud member of the American Christian Fiction Writers Association. Visit her online at www.AmberSchamel.com/ and download a FREE story by subscribing to her Newsletter!

Things That Go Boom in the Night

By Cindy Regnier

 It’s that time of year again, time to celebrate our country and our freedom. My family operates a fireworks stand so as we prepare for the 2021 holiday, I wondered just how long firecrackers have been around. Did someone invent them sometime after 1776 to be used in our Independence Day celebration? Nope. Turns out people were enjoying firecrackers centuries before our forefathers signed that Declaration.

Though no one really knows for sure, many historians think that fireworks originated around A.D. 800. Chinese alchemists mixed saltpeter, sulfur and charcoal to make a crude gunpowder, apparently in search of a recipe for eternal life. They packed the powder into bamboo shoots and threw them into a fire creating a loud blast. Once they realized what they had made, the Chinese came to believe that these explosions would keep away evil spirits. 

  These firecrackers were used in celebration of the most important events in life – a birth, a wedding, a death, holidays, and coronations. By the 10th century, the Chinese had figured out that they could make bombs with the gunpowder, and so they attached firecrackers to arrows that they shot at enemies. Within the next 200 years, fireworks were honed into rockets that could be fired at enemies without the help of an arrow, a concept still used today in firework shows.

Fireworks eventually spread to Europe to celebrate military victories and were later used in public celebrations and religious ceremonies. Legend has it that Captain John Smith set off the first fireworks display in the American colonies in Jamestown, Virginia in 1608. Furthermore, fireworks were likely used in the very first 4th of July celebration. John Adams wrote in a letter, "The day will be most memorable 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 solemnized with pomp and parade … bonfires and illuminations [fireworks] … from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forevermore." His prediction was right, and the tradition began in 1777 and every year since then.

You knew I couldn’t make it to the end of this blog without mentioning Laura Ingalls Wilder. Laura described the Fourth of July Celebration like this: The music was so gay; the bandsmen in their blue and red and their brass buttons tootled merrily, and the fat drummer beat rat-a-tat-tat on the drum. All the flags were fluttering and everybody was happy, because they were free and independent and this was Independence Day. ~Farmer Boy, by Laura Ingalls Wilder.

In the books, Independence Day was always glorious.The sun shone and everybody reveled in their pride in being American. Of course, life isn’t always like that. Take the 4th of July in 1881, for example. This is the year of the Independence Day Laura described in Little Town on the Prairie. In her version, the town gathered around the flagpole, where the Declaration of Independence was read and Star Spangled Banner was sung. There was free lemonade and horse races, and politician handed out firecrackers. All under a shining sun with a happy crowd. The 38-star flag flew over De Smet, and the rest of the nation, in 1881.

Illustration by Garth Williams, in Farmer Boy, c. HarperCollins

In actuality, July 4, 1881 was a wet, gloomy day in De Smet, South Dakota. Any readings, speeches, or singing took place inside the hardware store. There was no Pledge of Allegiance, because it hadn’t been written yet – that would come about a decade later. And the crowd wasn’t happy all day. President Garfield had been shot 2 days earlier. News of this tragedy and worry for the President’s life (he lived 80 days before dying of infection from the wound) would have dampened the spirits more than the rain.

But telling that story isn’t celebratory and surely Laura wanted the children who read her books to learn a sense of patriotism and freedom. Certainly, Laura would have enjoyed fried chicken and lemonade, rousing speeches and songs, horse races and fireworks on various Independence Days, so she drew on these experiences, combined them, and gave us an iconic vision of what the 4th of July should be.

How do you celebrate the Fourth of July? I’d love to hear about it in your comments.

 

Rand isn't looking for love. He'd ridden that trail. He needs a wife to care for his orphan nieces. Desperate, he places an advertisement and hopes for the best. Fleeing her former employer who would use her to further his unlawful acts, an advertisement reads like the perfect refuge to Carly. Escaping the danger to hide herself on a Kansas cattle ranch is her best shot for freedom. But sanctuary comes with a price.While marrying a man she doesn't know or love means sacrificing her dreams, it's better than being caught by the law. Or is it?

The Lady was a Lighthouse

Statue of Liberty, Photo courtesy The Lighthouse People

By Marilyn Turk

Although the lady is 125 years old, she’s still standing tall and proud at the entrance to New York’s Harbor.

Famous for her imposing stature and her regal form, she has represented freedom to thousands of immigrants. The people of France named her “Libertas,” after the Roman goddess for freedom, when they built her and shipped her over as a gift for the United States.

She holds a torch in her right hand representing enlightenment or progress and in her left arm rests a tablet inscribed with the date of American’s Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776. Since her  establishment on the island leading into the harbor, thousands of ships have hailed her as their welcome to the country.

She retains another unique position in that she was considered a lighthouse and governed by the US Lighthouse Board from 1886 to 1901 and owns the distinction of being the first lighthouse lit by electricity.  Her torch, held 305 feet in the air, contained nine electric arc lamps and could be seen 24 miles out to sea. In fact, the first lightkeeper, Albert Littlefield, received a higher salary than any other  lightkeeper because he was familiar with the “new” technology.

Although the torch was extinguished many years ago and her status as a lighthouse was removed, flood lighting was installed to reveal the entire figure at night. Therefore, now her whole body reflects light for all to see.

On the Fourth of July, the lady, the Statue of Liberty, will be emblazoned by thousands of fireworks set off in the harbor as the United States once again celebrates its freedom, commemorating the words at her base:

Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free. The wretched refuse of you teaming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!

A multi-published author, Marilyn Turk writes historical fiction about and lives in the coastal South. Her most recent novel, A Gilded Curse, released in March 2016 from Heritage Beacon Fiction, an imprint of Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolina. Her fascination for lighthouses spawned her popular weekly lighthouse blog @ http://pathwayheart.com, and inspired her book, Lighthouse Devotions – 52 Inspiring Lighthouse 
Stories.