Celebrating the fourth: Independence Day and the rites of nationalism in the early Republic
ISBN: 9781558490604
Platform/Publisher: ACLS / University of Massachusetts Press
Digital rights: Users: Unlimited; Printing: Ten pages at a time; Download: Ten pages at a time
Subjects: American: Colonial to 1789;

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.


hidden image for function call