Opinion

GERRI WILLIS: The fireworks are over. Now visit the places where America became free

In coming years, celebrations will mark Revolutionary War battles in Boston, New York and Yorktown that came after the signing of the Declaration of Independence

By Gerri Willis Fox News

Published July 19, 2026 8:00am EDT

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The fireworks are over, and the red, white and blue bunting has been put away. America’s Fourth of July celebration of our 250th anniversary is now just a memory. But this summer’s celebration of our founding won’t be the last. The party will continue, and it may even get bigger.

In the coming years, celebrations will mark Revolutionary War battles in Boston, New York and Yorktown that came after the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Americans will have a chance to hear about patriots they may never have known.

As a Southerner, I especially look forward to seeing patriots like Francis Marion, called the Swamp Fox, and Thomas Sumter, the Gamecock, celebrated in South Carolina. Long-forgotten battles such as Kings Mountain, Guilford Court House, Camden and Eutaw Springs — where Americans bent the course of history in the South and ultimately won — will also be........

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