James Heintze, 65, is a librarian emeritus at American University and the author of “The Fourth of July Encyclopedia.”
What drew you to July Fourth history?
Americans have celebrated the Fourth of July annually over the course of the nation’s 230-odd years, yet most know very little about the holiday and its significance regarding America’s cultural heritage.
Is there really enough information to fill an encyclopedia?
The impact of the Fourth of July over its many decades of history is remarkable. The holiday has served as the genesis for thousands of civic projects, acts of legislation, establishment of associations, innumerable speeches, premieres of poetic and musical works, and advances in communication, utilities, commerce, technology and science.
What’s your favorite July Fourth fact?
The first sitting president to venture to the West on the Fourth of July was President William H. Taft, who was in Indianapolis on July 4, 1911. For that special day, the city staged a train locomotive wreck on the fair grounds there. As President Taft sat on a reviewing stand, two locomotives were placed on a single track facing each other and were set at full steam until they crashed together.
What happened to the trains?
Both were reduced to scrap iron, according to The New York Times.
What little-known July Fourth fact do you wish every American knew?
Francis Scott Key, author of the “The Star-Spangled Banner,” … presented a remarkable speech in the Rotunda of the Capitol on July 4, 1831, in which he called for the “nation’s gratitude and joy” for the “blessing” of this day.
What’s the biggest myth about July Fourth?
The biggest myth about the Fourth of July is that the Declaration of Independence was signed on July 4 by the delegates to Congress. In fact, it was on Aug. 2 that many of the 56 members of Congress had returned to Philadelphia to affix their signatures on the nation’s founding charter.
