George Washington gave his soldiers a double ration of rum on July 4, 1778.
The order came during the Revolutionary War, when the Continental Army was still fighting Britain and Washington was using the holiday to raise morale. His troops were encamped at Ross Hall in New Jersey, and the extra rum accompanied other commemorative gestures, including an artillery salute.
This was not a modern Independence Day party organized after the war. It marked only the second anniversary of the Declaration, while the military struggle remained unresolved. Alcohol rations were a recognized part of military life in the eighteenth century, and rum was commonly issued to soldiers and sailors.
The event is sometimes blended with later Fourth of July traditions such as fireworks, parades, and barbecues. Those customs developed over time. Washington’s 1778 order is a much earlier example of an official American military celebration of the holiday.