John Adams placed himself on the wrong side of history, famously advocating, in a letter to his wife, that the 2nd of July (the date the Continental Congress actually voted to declare independence) would be forever celebrated as America’s Greatest Day. Obviously July 2nd is a nothingburger in this country, and we celebrate Independence on the 4th of July (the date of the approval of Jefferson’s draft resolution of the Declaration of Independence).
Putting aside historical nuance, I’m unclear on some of what he’s advocating for here.
“The Second Day of July 1776, will be the most memorable Epocha, 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 Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more.”
Specifically I’m asking about “Shews, Games, Sports, Guns … and Illuminations”
Shews = 18th century spelling of “shows,” by which he meant parades, military marching drills, etc.
Games - I’m not clear here. In the 18th century did people celebrate by … playing games? Or is he referring to, for example, public competitions (appropriate for the time), such as, I dunno, who can shear a ram the fastest??
Sports - same thing?
Guns - did he mean he expected people to randomly fire their guns into the air?
Illuminations - by this he means fireworks. Were the fireworks of 1776 comparable in scope and spectacle to what we have in the US today?
Perhaps guns means cannons (as opposed to rifles), but I’m not sure if Jefferson would have made the (naval) distinction between guns and rifles. Regardless, the wiki page on feu de joie mentions that Washington ordered one for July 4th, 1778. The pattern seems to be an initial salvo of cannons followed by rifle fire.
The only rifled weapons used at the time were specialized sharpshooter and hunting rifles; the standard issue military firearm was the musket, which was smooth bored, and rifled naval guns were over half a century in the future. “Guns” at the time meant all firearms, from pistols to siege cannons.
Militia musters, court days, and public executions became community festivals. Such occasions included games, foot races, wrestling contests, horse races, and cudgeling, in which contestants used a stout ash stick to bludgeon an opponent into submission.
One reply has already referred to Williamsburg. Each year, Colonial Williamsburg celebrates a “Grand Illumination” in the first week of December. Their website describes the event in much better detail than I can. I’ve attended many times and the fireworks used to be something to behold. Unfortunately, concerns about safety have greatly reduced the fun-level by establishing much more conservative safe areas. The days of fireworks literally bouncing off the Capitol and into the crowd are pretty much over.
I agree with Adams. July 2nd is the date the Continental Congress voted to declare independence. July 4th is the date Congress held a procedural vote to approve a draft resolution. We should be celebrating Independence Day on July 2nd. However, I’m not going to be salty about it like Adams was and spend the rest of my life resentful and refusing to participate on July 4th.
OK, so the bit about Adams being bitter and salty about July 4th is historical fiction, but my point stands.
Based on Australian early colonial examples games would mean a day off and someone (govt or benefactor) supporting picnics and general fun competitions, like tug-of-war or races between the crews of ships in port.
Illuminations may include fireworks but generally meant lighting up the town, which was largely not a regular thing otherwise, so became a special event where citizens could relatively safely enjoy the evening rather than scuttling between distant piss-weak streetlamps.
Buildings were lit up with lights that showed their facades, shops had special night displays made with coloured paper that could be lit with lanterns.
We waste light so readily that we forget that after dark most cities until the mid-19th century were largely pitched into darkness and anything that changed that was a notable event in itself.
I mean, even today, when folks hold a picnic (like, say, for Independence Day), they play games as part of the celebration. What’s so mysterious about what Adams said?
OK, maybe he didn’t specifically anticipate water-balloon toss and red light-green light. The specifics of what games people play at picnics has obviously changed with time. But it’s still pretty basic human nature that when a bunch of people get together to party, we do fun things.
Adams. And mostly my question was, what games? And did he mean spontaneous games or regulated games with, like, a Schedule of Events put together by a committe or something.
And he was likely using a popular 18th-Century rhetorical device called congeries, where the individual items in a long list are less important than the overall effect.