America’s birthday is a holiday campers and RVers look forward to year round. It’s a time bursting with Patriotism, as smells of campfires and barbecue fill the air and fireworks light up the night sky for miles. It’s no surprise we LOVE the Fourth of July. Here are some fun facts about the holiday that you can spout off to your friends at the campground while sipping a cold beer (or water), eating a hot dog and talking about the best firework shows in town!
$3.6 Million: Amount of American Flag Imports
Millions of American flags are actually manufactured abroad. Nearly all of them – 97 percent – came from China last year, which sold us $3.5 million worth.
The U.S. exports plenty of flags as well. Turkey happens to be the biggest buyer of American-made flags, having purchased $673,000 worth from the U.S. last year.
48 Million: Consumers Shopping for Red, White and Blue
More than 48 million Americans will be shopping for decorations, apparel and party supplies this Independence Day, with average household spending jumping up to $71.23 – 4.5 percent higher than 2014’s $68.16 per household.
“Consumers this summer and for the 4th of July will take advantage of lower gas prices to head to the beach or get together with family– something they’ve had to think long and hard about in recent years with higher energy costs and limited budgets,” Pam Goodfellow, consumer insights director at Prosper Insights & Analytics, said in a statement accompanying the National Retail Federation report. (Source: via U.S News)
10 QUICK FACTS
- According to author Kenneth C. Davis, July 2nd is the real day of Independence, but it’s celebrated on the fourth because that’s when congress accepted Jefferson’s declaration.
- Thomas Jefferson changed the wording of the Declaration of Independence from “the pursuit of property” to “the pursuit of happiness.”
- John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both died on July 4, 1826.
- Only two men signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4th 1776 — John Hancock and Charles Thompson.
- Congress declared July 4th as an official holiday in 1870 as part of a bill to officially recognize other holidays, Christmas being one of them.
- The “Star Spangled Banner” was written by Francis Scott Key and was originally a poem stemming from his observations in 1814 concerning the British attack on Baltimore’s Fort McHenry during the War of 1812. It was later put to music, though not decreed the official national anthem until 1931.
- Including John Adams and Thomas Jefferson (mentioned earlier), a total of three US presidents have died on July 4th. James Monroe is the third president to share this fate.
- In 1776, about 2.5 million people lived in the United States verses 311.7 million people in 2011.
- 1 out of 8 signers of the Declaration of Independence were educated at Harvard (7 total).
- 87.5% ($2.8 million) of imported U.S. flags are from China.
