Despite the oppressive heat and the partisan elements, there was still a lot to see and marvel at on our nation’s 250th birthday.
Fireworks
With lightning!
Military flyovers
Capital concert
Morning at the National Archives
The Declaration of Independence is traditionally read on the steps of the National Archive on the morning of the 4th. This year, the reading was moved inside because of the heat – which left a very long line to get in, and people fading in the heat outside when the realized they weren’t going to be able to get in.
What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?
Every year, Frederick Douglass’s powerfully scathing 1852 speech is read by actors at Frederick Douglass National Historic Site.
For more about his speech, see the article by our late colleague Karen Ramsey.
Scenes from around the city
Thanks for this fascinating post (and reminding me how awful the summer heat/humidity was!). And thanks for including Karen Ramsey’s words and pictures. Her passing was such a loss for DC’s photography community.
Thanks, Mark!