Fourth of July fireworks date back to America’s first birthday

For decades, Boston has celebrated the Fourth of July with fireworks over the Charles River, a triumphant ritual that dates back to when the nation gained its independence.

Fireworks were created centuries ago and came to the New World with the early settlers from Europe. Since 1776, Americans have used fireworks to celebrate the nation’s freedom.

Matt Shea, the lead pyrotechnician and northeast manager of Pryotecnico — the entertainment agency putting on this year’s Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular — says that fireworks deliver excitement that is hard to match.

“The mixture of the color and the noise and the beauty that is created by essentially an explosion is just amazing artwork, and if you really think about the chemical reaction that takes place, there’s something deep inside of us that I think capitalizes on that,” Shea said.

Fireworks were invented sometime between 600 and 900 AD when a Chinese alchemist combined potassium nitrate, sulfur, and charcoal to make gunpowder and poured the mixture into sticks of bamboo to be used as explosives.

Fireworks were popularized as symbols of celebration by Europeans in the 15th century where they were used for public entertainment at festivals. Settlers brought fireworks to the New World, and John Adams insisted on using them to celebrate the nation’s independence.

“I am apt to believe that [American independence] will be celebrated, by succeeding generations, as the great anniversary festival,” Adams wrote on July 2, 1776. “It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more.”

While fireworks are widely used to celebrate the Fourth of July, many states restrict recreational use. In 1931, Iowa became the first state to ban fireworks after a boy dropped a sparkler that ultimately burned down numerous businesses in Spencer, Iowa. Many other states followed suit.

In states where fireworks are legal, people should be careful, Shea said.

“Consumers who use them shouldn’t drink, they should make sure they take proper precautions and are far enough away from people,” Shea said. “They should make sure that they dispose of them properly, maybe wet them down. People should just use them the way they’ve been instructed on the guidelines that come on the fireworks.”

In Massachusetts, which has among the strictest recreational fireworks laws in the country, it is illegal to use, possess, or sell fireworks, sparklers, or cherry bombs. People can be charged between $100 and $1,000 or face imprisonment if they use these explosives without a license or a permit.

For this reason, residents are encouraged to attend professional fireworks shows like the Boston Pops display. The beloved festival has combined the Boston Pops classical music concert with fireworks, cannons, and bells since 1976.

“We’re excited with the element that we are bringing into this new style show,” Shea said. “We are using our mini fire systems which span 600 to 700 feet across the river, which really gives the show something that they were not able to do before. It’s just a fun traditional event.”