Article Title: Looking Back at Independence Day

Edition: July 2001
Category: History
Author: Glenn Houston
Article:

Montpelier has celebrated the Fourth of July in lots of ways over the years. In the early days, it was almost a hushed ceremony. As time went by, celebrations evolved into more gaudy affairs, more akin to our celebrations today. In this article, Montpelier teacher, writer, and amateur historian, Glenn Houston, looked back at accounts of Independence Day celebrations.

1826

Fourth of July festivities in Montpelier were staid in the early years, but became more raucous as time went on.

During the 1826 Fourth of July festivities, the surviving veterans of the Revolution were honored. Behind the "aged and respected matrons of the Revolution" a procession of elderly soldiers, mounted, was a profound and emotional site for those who witnessed it.

"The account was truly affecting," a journalist wrote, "to see the few remaining fragments of that heroic band … now gathered together to greet and bid each other a last farewell … apparently on the verge of life, supported by their offspring, was enough to melt the heart … and call forth the warmest gratitude."

1842

In 1842 a fireworks display was witnessed from the State House lawn. This may have been the first time this ever occurred. In later years fireworks displays were often described in the newspapers in great detail. But in this case The Watchman was brief and to the point: "In the evening a fine display of fireworks was enjoyed on the common."

1856

In 1856, Montpelier's mode of recognizing the Fourth was highly unusual for the time. It consisted of a parade that was complete with farce and satire. This would become a common practice, but in 1876 it was nearly unheard of.

1865

In 1865 the Civil War had just ended. Vermonters had paid a high price in blood to preserve the Union. The Watchman stated that in Montpelier on July Fourth, "the most sublime and beautiful herald appeared in the morning sky … a section of rainbow, distinctly drawn on a field of blue … It flashed upon our mind the thought that the genuine peace and beauty and glory are to be found in any distinction of color but in the Union of all … in one equal bond, standing with equal footing on the earth, and rising with equal measure to heaven."

1891

In 1891 things got rowdy. According to news accounts from The Watchman, hoodlums and ruffians rampaged and fire crackers shattered windows. The talk of the town were the "dastardly outrages" of the night before.

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