So the fireworks got me wondering. Where did the tradition of shooting off fireworks on the 4th of July come from? Well, you might know already- but I don't. I may have learned it at some period of time in my life and have forgotten. But I'm going to refresh my memory. And maybe yours if you've forgotten as well. This is what I found.
Traditions of the U.S. Fireworks have been associated with the Fourth of July since 1777. The discovery of gunpowder and the subsequent invention of true fireworks is owed to the Chinese. Taoist monks played with the basic components of gunpowder to create fireworks in their spare time. Eventually, the art and science of firework making developed into an independent profession of its own. In ancient China, pyrotechnicians (firework-masters) were well-respected for their knowledge and skill to mount dazzling displays of light and sound. Some scholars say fireworks were developed in the Sui and Tang Dynasties (581–907), but others argue there were no fireworks until the Northern Song Dynasty (10th century).
America's earliest settlers brought their enthusiasm for fireworks to the United States. Fireworks and black powder were used to celebrate important events long before the American Revolutionary War. The very first celebrations of Independence Day were in 1777, six years before Americans knew whether the new nation would survive the war; fireworks were a part of those festivities. In 1789, George Washington's inauguration was also accompanied by a fireworks display. This early fascination with their noise and color continues today.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fireworks
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