Red, White and Weird
- The Editors at Very Cool Facts
- Jul 3, 2025
- 1 min read
Updated: Aug 4, 2025
Before the parades, the cookouts, and the fireworks, America’s Independence Day was… kind of weird. This week, we’re diving into the strange-but-true side of July 4th.
Fireworks Didn't Always Mean Freedom
Colonial Americans were lighting off fireworks to celebrate King George’s birthday before independence. After 1776, they just repurposed the tradition to celebrate freedom instead of monarchy. Revolutionary rebranding.
A Little-Known Truth About July 4th
America actually declared independence on July 2, 1776—that’s when Congress voted to break from Britain. But the final wording of the Declaration wasn’t approved until July 4, and that’s the date printed on the document. So that’s the one we celebrate.
Americans Used to Blow Up a Fake British Ship Every 4th of July
In parts of New England during the early 1800s, Fourth of July celebrations included a fiery reenactment of the Gaspee Affair—an event that happened before the Boston Tea Party.
Revelers would build and burn replicas of the HMS Gaspee, a British customs ship that was attacked and torched by colonists in 1772 off the coast of Rhode Island.
Not quite fireworks—but explosive.
That's a Lot of Hot Dogs
On the 4th of July alone, Americans eat an estimated 150 million hot dogs. Laid end to end, that’s over 14,500 miles. It’s a patriotic tradition... with a side of mustard and potato chips.
History isn’t always what we remember—it’s often stranger.
Before the tea was dumped, colonists were setting fire to British ships.
There’s always more beneath the surface.
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