In the United States, Independence Day (also known as the Fourth of July for the day on which it is annually celebrated) is a national holiday that celebrates the country's declaration of independence from Great Britain. Traditionally, many people celebrate this day with picnics, parades, and fireworks, though festivities sometimes vary by state and cultures.
These interesting vintage photographs below show how people celebrated Independence Day from the past.
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| A little girl decked out in Fourth of July clothing poses for a photo in 1916. (Library of Congress) |
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| A Fourth of July parade in 1916. (Library of Congress) |
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| A boy in an Uncle Sam outfit holds a flag on a float in a Fourth of July parade in Vale, Oregon, in 1941. (Russell Lee / Library of Congress) |
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| Women dress up for a Fourth of July gathering in 1919. (Library of Congress) |
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| A child holding fireworks and a flag is all ready for the holiday in 1906. (Library of Congress) |
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| A boy looks at fireworks for sale on the Fourth of July in Vale, Oregon, in 1941. (Russell Lee / Library of Congress) |
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| A young boy holds fireworks and an American flag in 1906. (Library of Congress) |
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| American Legionnaires march in a Fourth of July parade in Watertown, Wisconsin, in 1941. (Library of Congress) |
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| A young girl plays Betsy Ross, legendary maker of the first American flag, during a Fourth of July celebration in 1923. (Library of Congress) |
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| A group of children play with sparklers for the Fourth of July celebrations in 1940. (Getty Images) |
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| A bathing beauty poses patriotically with fireworks. (Everett Collection) |
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| Children march in a Fourth of July parade of their own in the 1960s. (Everett Collection) |