Independence Day Brings Nationwide Fireworks—What to Know

WASHINGTON—The 4th of July has become inextricably linked to fireworks in the American psyche. Many people who grew up in America will have childhood memories of hot-weather cookouts and the smell of grilling meat, coupled with the barely restrained anticipation of waiting for dusk so the fun could begin. It’s almost like a reverse Christmas: furtive glances at the colorful boxes that you know will soon be blown to bits, and waiting for the sun to go down just enough for sparklers and bottle rockets to become relevant. The connection between Independence Day and fireworks is not a modern aberration. In 1777, one year after the signing of the Declaration of Independence, Congress adjourned to celebrate and the first fireworks displays were held in Philadelphia and Boston to commemorate the event. Nearly 100 years later in 1870, the 4th of July was established as a federal holiday....