Topics in Chronicling America - 4th of July Celebrations, 1876-1911.

Centennial celebrations of the Declaration of Independence spark increasingly dangerous revelries on July 4th each year. The American Medical Association cited 1,531 deaths between 1903 and 1910 with more than 5,000 injuries in 1909 alone from exploding fireworks and other incidents during July 4th celebrations. Finally, pleas from social groups and President Taft for a "Sane Fourth" brought the festivities back under control. Read more about it!

The information and sample article links below provide access to a sampling of articles from historic newspapers that can be found in the Chronicling America: American Historic Newspapers digital collection (http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/). Use the Suggested Search Terms and Dates to explore this topic further in Chronicling America.

Jump to: Sample Articles

Important Dates:

• July 2, 1876. Centennial Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence is celebrated on July 2nd all over the country.
• June 1900-July 1911. Articles annually warn against raucous Fourth of July celebrations and hearken back to “sane” celebrations of yesteryear.

Suggested Search Strategies:

• [Try the following terms in combination, proximity, or as phrases using Search Pages in Chronicling America.] Independence Day, Fourth of July, Sane Fourth, Safe and Sane Fourth, Centennial Anniversary, Centennial Celebration
• It is important to use a specific date range if looking for articles for a particular event in order to narrow your results.

Sample Articles from Chronicling America:

• "The Centennial Anniversary," The Daily Phoenix (Columbia, SC), July 4, 1876, Page 8, Image 8, col.1-2.
• "The Centennial in the District," National Republican (Washington, DC), July 4, 1876, Page 1, Image 1, col. 2-3.
• "Day of Days," National Republican (Washington, DC), July 6, 1876, Page 1, Image 1, col. 1-5.
• "The Centennial Celebration of the Glorious Fourth," The Leavenworth Weekly Times (Leavenworth, KS), July 13, 1876, Page 1, Image 1, col. 1-8.
• "In the Olden Time," The Hocking Sentinel (Logan, OH), June 28, 1900, Page 3, Image 3, col. 3-5.
• "Minneapolis Celebrating a Sane Fourth of July," The Minneapolis Journal (Minneapolis, MN), July 4, 1906, Page 1, Image 1, col. 4-6.
• "Sharpshooter Speaks of the Fourth," The Princeton Union (Princeton, MN), July 11, 1907, Page 4, Image 4, col.4.
• "Letters to Aunt Laurie from Nephews and Nieces," Los Angeles herald (Los Angeles, CA), July 3 1910, Herald Junior, Page 1, Image 57, col. 1.
• "For a Sane Fourth--Whole Nation Aroused--Scores of Cities Enroll Under Banner--Some Ghastly Statistics of Carnage," The Times Dispatch (Richmond, VA), July 3 1910, Page 5, Image 29, col. 1-7.
• "President Taft on Winding Way: Endorses Sane Fourth," The Marion Daily Mirror (Marion, OH), July 3, 1911, Page 1, Image 1, col. 7.