This work provides a history of American Independence Day and explores its role in shaping a national identity and consciousness in Boston, Charleston and Philadelphia during the first 50 years of the American Republic.

In ""Celebrating the Fourth"" Len Travers traces the origins and functions of the quintesssential American holiday from the first festivals in 1777 to the Jubilee of Independence in 1826. Applying anthropological analyses of social rituals, he skillfully explicates the rich symbolic content of such activities as processions, banquets and entertainments. By examining Fourth of July celebrations in Boston, Philadelphia and Charleston, he is able to discuss the interplay between local/regional and national identities and interests. Travers's thoughtful and perceptive decipherings of Independence Day celebrations make a significant contribution to our understanding of the importance of ritual in early republican political culture. This work should appeal to historians, social scientists, folklorists and general readers alike.