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Celebrating the Fourth
Independence Day and the Rites of Nationalism in the Early Republic
A Choice Outstanding Academic
Book
The early history of America’s day of national celebration
"Travers traces the origins and functions of the quintessential 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 note regional variations
and to discuss the interplay between local/regional and national identities
and interests. ..... [An] excellent book."
American Historical Review
"Travers's well-informed, 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."
William and Mary Quarterly
"Travers, in Celebrating the Fourth, presents a richly detailed
and analytically ambitious account of political rituals during the half-century
after 1776. The Fourth of July, he argues, was important because it was
one of the only annual rituals that transcended region, class, and faction.
National identity neither erupted spontaneously nor spread from the one-sided
distribution of pamphlets; rather, it took shape in the midst of an evolving
negotiation between organizers and spectators."
Journal of the Early Republic
"In a richly documented work that will appeal to historians, social
scientists, folklorists, and general readers alike, Travers examines the
rituals and symbols associated with the U.S. celebration of the Fourth of
July. ..... Offers valuable insights into Americans' national vision and
ceremonies of the present."
Choice
"[A] thoughtful, instructive, and entertaining book. ..... Travers
adds detail and clarity to our map of early American history by concentrating
on the way in which Americans understood and performed their new national
ritual."
(London) Times Literary Supplement
Len Travers is assistant director of the Center for the Study of New England History at the Massachusetts Historical Society.
American Studies
288 pp., 4 illustrations
LC 96-18431
$40.00s cloth, ISBN 1-55849-060-4
$24.95s paper, ISBN 1-55849-203-8
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