From the sandy beach towns of Southern California to the rocky coasts of Maine, Americans celebrated the ratification of the Declaration of Independence in 1776 with flags, fireworks, hot dogs and par

Independence Day parades, another Joey Chestnut win and fireworks marked Friday's Fourth of July celebrations across the U.S. The big picture: Millions of Americans traveled for the holiday, facing sweltering heat,

Revisiting the origins of American democracy. By Jill Lepore. In 1938, if you had a dollar and seventy-two cents, you could buy a copy of “The Rise of American Dem