First Fireworks for Independence

First Fireworks for Independence: Virginia's Gift to America

Coming June 14, 2023, Flag Day

When Virginia, age 10, asks her grandfather, “who fired the first fireworks for independence?” the answer he gives is as surprising as it is delightful about America’s favorite July 4 tradition, fireworks..

First Fireworks for Independence takes young readers to Virginia, Philadelphia, Boston, New York, Washington D.C., and Charleston, South Carolina.

Discover the story behind fireworks for July 4 and the mysterious identity of Virginia’s grandfather. Award-winning author and presidential historian Jane Hampton Cook presents First Fireworks for Independence to prepare young Americans to understand our nation’s founding and to celebrate America’s 250th birthday in 2026.

Williamsburg Fireworks