An excerpt from a July 1907 newspaper article pertaining to Fourth of July celebrations becoming rowdy in South Carolina.
All over the United States, Fourth of July celebrations turned deadly. There were many instances of alcohol use fueling anger between members of communities. One of the worst deadly celebrations took place in Chatham, Illinois, two children were fatally killed due to the explosion of seven cans of fireworks. Other instances of injuries due to Fourth of July celebrations were suffering serious burns due to the exploding of fireworks while too close, losing fingers, receiving large lacerations on the body.
Citations:
Fatal Patriotism: Fourth of July Casualties, The Times of India (1861-2010), 1907-09-18, p.5
1. Why did Willie not attend any Independence Day celebrations in Piedmont?
2. What was Willies father sick with?
3. The letter was postmarked July 4th, indicating that mail was running on Independence Day. In what year did Independence Day become a federal and state holiday, causing the U.S. Postal Service to close in observance to Independence Day?
The following object description information includes basic elements from the Dublin Core Metadata Initiative (DCMI). An additional notes field is included to list dates from the actual letter, envelope postmark locations, and any other identifying details.
The Panic of 1907, the first worldwide financial crisis. The Panic of 1907 was due to the lack of trust in the banking systems, which resulted in poor banking decisions and large amounts of withdrawals. The Panic began in New York, causing their central banks to shut down and leading finances to put their own money into the banks such as J.P. Morgan and John D. Rockefeller. This worldwide financial crisis eventually led to the creation of the Federal Reserve System. The Federal Reserve System had many purposes, such as setting interest rates, managing money supplies, and regulating markets.
The Pocahontas Stamp was issued in 1907. Pocahontas is one of the two Native American women to be put on a stamp, the other being Sacagawea.
Independence Day celebrations, sometimes known as July Fourth celebrations began being officially celebrated on July 4, 1777. However, it was not until June 28, 1870, that Independence Day became a federal holiday. On a federal holiday, all federal positions and government jobs are closed in observance of the holiday, including mail carries. Had this letter been written after June 28, 1870, the letter would not have been postmarked on July 4 as the post office would have been closed.
Citations:
Pocahontas Stamp, 1907, https://postalmuseum.si.edu/exhibition/women-on-stamps-part-1-forming-the-nation-native-american-leaders/pocahontas