# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Patriotism. It's an old word that perhaps signifies an old condition. But patriotism, while embraced by many, is being redefined by younger generations, untied to the past and devoid of experiences that would tie them to times past.

The 2016 presidential election was won by an older gentleman (70 years old) who spoke regularly of the past, uttering that he wanted to "Make America Great Again." He won an overwhelming Electoral College victory, carrying states no Republican had won in decades. According to The Washington Post, Donald Trump John McCain John McCain Graham: There are 'no good choices left' with North Korea Graham: North Korea shouldn't underestimate Trump Give Trump the silent treatment MORE in 2008, and overwhelmingly receiving votes from white males. Donald Trump Time for GOP panic? Russian defense chief: US missile strike on Syria threatened Russian troops Ivanka Trump creating fund to support female entrepreneurs: report MORE won surprising demographics, according to exit polls, too, carrying white women (53 percent), getting more black votes than either fellow GOP nominees Mitt Romney in 2012 or

Republicans have rarely in recent times won Michigan, Wisconsin or Minnesota, but Trump did.

He won by appealing to voters' patriotism in many respects, complaining about federal leadership, arguing against bad trade "deals" and generally disagreeing with status quo politicians and policies. Vowing to "drain the swamp" of Washington, Trump offered an appealing voice to those disaffected by left-wing policies, discouraged by inappropriate actions at the federal level, including wasted tax dollars, and convincing voters that America would change - for the better - under a Trump administration.

Using patriotic themes is not a new political phenomenon. President Franklin Roosevelt, the only president to be elected to four terms, used patriotism to help win World War II, urging ordinary Americans to "join me in this fight to win a lasting peace," as he struggled to maintain a strategic war alliance with the Soviet Union under Joseph Stalin, and Great Britain led by Winston Churchill.

Patriotism has been used as a political weapon, such as when President Obama called President George W. Bush "unpatriotic" for adding $4 trillion to the national debt (Obama has added about $10 trillion to the debt in his eight years as president).

Traditional patriotism is changing, however. A recent Harvard University poll showed that about 25 percent of Harvard students and others from the millennial generation would rather directly volunteer to help others than vote, believing their volunteering is a more effective form of patriotism than voting.

Yet voting is considered by many to be an acceptable act of patriotism, a citizenship obligation and an act important for the future of the nation of which they're a part. In 2016, according to The Washington Post, about 130 million Americans voted, compared to 129.2 million votes in 2012. Since 2008, though, the U.S. population has increased about 18 million - but that's not reflected in voter turnout, a sign that patriotic feelings associated with voting is diminishing.

The world is global now, with instant communication, instant electronic transactions and exposure by peoples everywhere to places and things many have never seen firsthand. Patriotism is changing, too. Children in their 30s think differently about love of country than their parents or grandparents, perhaps because many of their life experiences, while abundant, have a different, less pressurized outlook than parents who faced death and war when the younger generation hasn't.

Perhaps it's a sign that younger people are more global and less nationalistic than their parents or grandparents. Technology may also play a part, as better understood by younger generations, without political borders, for whom technology and modernity come easy.

The Trump presidency may expose more citizens to traditional patriotism, devoid of political correctness and tinged with increasing feelings of pride in being an American. A lot has to do with how America is doing, how citizens are faring economically and what hope we all have for the future.

Much of the electorate has hope for the future and expects Trump to govern with patriotic principles in mind. Making America great again means restoring America's reputation around the world, achieving victories such as immigration reform, paying down America's national debt, controlling spending, reducing or eliminating duplicative and wasteful government programs stemming the tide of illegal immigration, reforming tax laws, creating a prosperous economy - including infrastructure improvements - and not committing American soldiers to unending wars.

If President-elect Trump and Congress can achieve such goals, America will restore a greater redefinition of patriotism, showing the world that elections truly matter.
George R. The views expressed by contributors are their own and not the views of The Hill. Nethercutt is a former U.S. representative from Washington state, serving from 1995 to 2005.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Will traditional patriotism make a return under Trump?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Patriotism. It's an old word that perhaps signifies an old condition. But patriotism, while embraced by many, is being redefined by younger generations, untied to the past and devoid of experiences that would tie them to times past.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The MAGA Movement

The American Way of Life is under attack while career politicians destroy our economy and sabotage our nation's incredible potential. We will take our country back from the corrupt Washington establishment and return power to the American people, where it belongs. We will achieve a future of prosperity, security, and peace - creating once again the greatest economy in the history of the world, defending our borders, restoring energy independence, and leading with strength and pride on the world stage. It is time to put America First once more and usher in a glorious new era of faith, family, and freedom. Together, we will save lives, save jobs, and save America. Join me in our unstoppable mission to Make America Great Again.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Certified Website of Donald J. Trump For President 2024. America's comeback starts right now. Join our movement to Make America Great Again!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Americans are optimistic about the communities they live in-but not their nation. Why?

WG600; Lucas Jackson / Reuters

In its calamitous effects-for climate change, in what might happen in a nuclear standoff, for race relations-this could indeed be as consequential a "change" election as the United States has had since 1860. But nothing about the voting patterns suggests that much of the population intended upheaval on this scale. "Change" elections drive waves of incumbents from office. This time only two senators, both Republicans, lost their seats. Of the nearly 400 representatives running for reelection to the House, only eight lost, six of them Republicans and two Democrats. In change elections, the incumbent president and his party are out of favor, even reviled: Hoover after the start of the Great Depression, George W. Bush after the financial crash. Through 2016, Barack Obama's popularity kept rising, and if he could have run again, he would have been a favorite for reelection. But even the much less popular candidate from his same party comfortably won the popular vote, and the Democrats gained seats in both the Senate and the House. This is not what 1932 looked like, or 1980, or 2008.
The heartland-rage theory misses the sentiments so clearly evident in the real "out there."
The "fury out there" argument was expressed by, among others, Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook, who was trying to rebut criticisms that his site's tolerance for serving up popular, profitable, and wholly fictitious reports as "news" had skewed voters' perceptions of reality, mainly toward the right. It didn't matter that people were learning online that Hillary Clinton was about to die of Parkinson's disease, or that violent crime was very high by historic standards when it was in fact very low. In the end, Zuckerberg said, voters "made decisions based on their lived experience." Of course people must have been furious about their lived experiences. How else could they have voted for a man many of them viewed negatively, according to exit polls, and even as unqualified for the job? To paraphrase Trump's famous campaign appeal to African American voters: With their lives and communities in such ruin, what the hell did they have to lose?

But just as Trump's appeal seemed grossly out of touch with modern African American life, so does the heartland-rage theory miss the optimism and determination that are intertwined with desolation and decay in the real "out there." I can say that because I have been out there, reporting with my wife, Deb, in smaller-town America for much of the past four years. Erie, Pennsylvania, has a landscape of abandoned factory buildings and a generation of laid-off blue-collar workers who know that their children will never enjoy the security they did at the once-mighty GE locomotive plant. (Those GE jobs, by the way, are moving not to China or Mexico but instead to Fort Worth, Texas.) But Erie also has as active a civic-reform movement as you will find anywhere in the country, led by people in their 20s and 30s who believe they can create new businesses for themselves and new life for their town. Erie is worse off in most ways than it was 50 years ago-but better off than five years ago, and headed toward better prospects five years from now, in the view of most people there. That's also what my wife and I found in places as poor and crime-ridden as San Bernardino, California; as historically downcast as Columbus, Mississippi; as removed from the glamour of the coastal metropolises as Laramie, Wyoming, or Duluth, Minnesota, or Dodge City, Kansas.

From Our January/February 2017 Issue

Try 2 FREE issues of The Atlantic
Subscribe
Are these impressions incomplete and anecdotal? Of course. But systematic surveys show the same thing. A Pew study in 2014 found that only 25 percent of respondents were satisfied with the direction of national policy, but 60 percent were satisfied with events in their own communities. According to a Heartland Monitor report in 2016, two in three Americans said that good ideas for dealing with national social and economic challenges were coming from their towns. Fewer than one in three felt that good ideas were coming from national institutions. These results also underscore the sense my wife and I took unmistakably from our visits: that city by city, and at the level of politics where people's judgments are based on direct observation rather than media-fueled fear, Americans still trust democratic processes and observe long-respected norms. As I argued in a cover story last year, most American communities still manage to compromise, invest and innovate, make long-term plans. They even manage to cope with the ethnic change and racial tension that Donald Trump so crudely exploited in his campaign, with more flexibility and harmony than anything about the campaign might indicate. Yes, residential and educational segregation are evident across the country. Yes, police violence is more visible than ever before. But people in Michigan and Mississippi and Kansas were more willing to start confronting these injustices locally than nationally. The same was true of immigration. In our travels we observed what polls also indicate: The more a community is exposed to recent immigrants and refugees, the less fearful its people are about an immigrant menace. We heard no lusty "Build a wall" cheers in California or Texas or other places where large numbers of outsiders had arrived.

Yet Donald Trump has won. How could his message of despair and anger about the American prospect, and disrespect for the norms that made us great, have prevailed in a nation that still believes in itself at the local level? How can Americans have remained so confident and practical-minded in their daily civic dealings, and so suspicious, fearful, and tribally resentful about the nation as a whole?

Nearly a century ago, Walter Lippmann wrote that the challenge for democracies is that citizens necessarily base decisions on the "pictures in our heads," the images of reality we construct for ourselves. The American public has just made a decision of the gravest consequence, largely based on distorted, frightening, and bigoted caricatures of reality that we all would recognize as caricature if applied to our own communities. Given the atrophy of old-line media with their quaint regard for truth, the addictive strength of social media and their unprecedented capacity to spread lies, and the cynicism of modern politics, will we ever be able to accurately match image with reality? The answer to that question will determine the answer to another: whether this election will be a dire but survivable challenge to American institutions or an irreversible step toward something else.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Americans are optimistic about the communities they live in-but not their nation. Why? In its calamitous effects-for climate change, in what might happen in a nuclear standoff, for race relations-this could indeed be as consequential a "change" election as the United States has had since 1860.

# data[].attributes.headline
Figure 2.3 - Map of Locations with Parade Route

# data[].attributes.subject
Figure 2.3 - Map of Locations with Parade Route

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The Fourth of July is a spectacular day: barbeques, fireworks, fun in the sun (one hopes) and music, all in the name of our country's freedom. While you're out celebrating with family and friends, here is some strange Independence Day trivia to share, courtesy of ABC News, History.com and Fourth of July Trivia.
What day did most signers of the Declaration of Independence actually sign the document?
Aug. 2, 1776.
How many people signed the Declaration of Independence on July Fourth?
Two
Three of the first five presidents died on the Fourth of July:
John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and James Monroe. Adams, the second president, and Jefferson, the third, died on the same day in 1826, the 50th anniversary.
Which president was born on the Fourth of July?
Calvin Coolidge, the 30th president, in 1872.
What other countries celebrate the Fourth of July?
Denmark, England, Norway, Portugal and Sweden. Denmark Danes and Norwegians celebrate American Independence Day because thousands emigrated to the U.S. in the early 1900s. Other European countries, like England, Portugal and Sweden, hold celebrations near American military bases and or spots frequented by American tourists to boost travel during early July.
How did the Nathan's Fourth of July Hot Dog Contest begin?
It apparently started after a disagreement among four immigrants over who was the most patriotic.
John Adams would think the country is celebrating Independence Day on the wrong date:
Adams wrote that July 2, the date the Second Continental Congress voted in Philadelphia to declare independence from Britain, not July 4, would be the day patriots celebrated their freedom. "The Second Day of July 1776, will be the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America," Adams wrote on July 3. "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."
When did the Fourth of July become a legal federal holiday?
1938
Is there something written on the back of the Declaration of Independence?
Yes. It might not be a treasure map as Nicholas Cage's character claims in "National Treasure," but there is apparently a message written upside down at the bottom of the signed document: "Original Declaration of Independence dated 4 th July 1776." It's not known who wrote it or when. Since parchment was usually rolled up during the Revolutionary War years, it's thought this memo served as a label.

Follow me on Twitter @mariamzzarella

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Fourth Of July 2014: 9 Trivia Facts About Independence Day

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Fourth of July is a spectacular day: barbeques, fireworks, fun in the sun (one hopes) and music, all in the name of our country's freedom. While you're out celebrating with family and friends, here is some strange Independence Day trivia to share, courtesy of ABC News, History.com and Fourth of July Trivia.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Exploring the Dimensions of Fit within Sports Sponsorship

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Your guide to Griffith University's academic and research expertise.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
2. Celebrate with a bang: Brooklyn, New York

Gather with the masses in the glorious park underneath the Brooklyn Bridge, overlooking the harbour, and take in Macy's Fourth of July fireworks spectacular.

You can spend hours visiting the playground, carousel and taking in the art installations here, but don't forget to reserve a seat on the edge of the East River by 5pm for the 9pm show - there is no better place to watch America's biggest fireworks display. The annual Fourth of July show features 40,000 fireworks set off to the beat of patriotic music. And if you're really feeling patriotic, you could spend the afternoon in Coney Island, home to Nathan's International Hot Dog Eating Contest.

* The best hotels in New York

3. History, re-enacted: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The Declaration of Independence was adopted here on July 4 (signing didn't finish until August), so Independence Day in Philadelphia begins with readings from the great document.

This year's celebration of freedom will commemorate a number of milestones: the 50th anniversary of the first major gay and lesbian protest in the United States; the 50th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act, which prohibited racial discrimination in voting; and the 150th anniversary of the addition of the 13th Amendment to the US Constitution, which abolished slavery. Visitors can also witness the initiation of new American citizens during a special naturalisation ceremony at the event.

You can also see the symbolic tapping of the Liberty Bell, which summoned citizens to hear the first reading of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. Later, visit the Benjamin Franklin Parkway for one of the largest free concerts and fireworks at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

4. Meet the presidents: Mount Rushmore, South Dakota

Don't expect fireworks at this national park on July 4, but do expect the four presidents represented on the mountainside in attendance. Professional actors posing as Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt and Lincoln will be on hand for questions, pictures and autographs. Visit local towns for: "Old West shootouts, cook-offs, car shows 'n shines, great music, picnics, ice cream socials, farmers markets, re-enactors, arts and crafts vendors." Yee-haw!

5. New frontiers: Seward, Alaska

Perhaps America's most extreme July 4 event - which started 100 years ago as a bar room bet - the Mount Marathon Race takes place in the tiny port town of Seward in southern Alaska.

Relatively short - just over three miles - the race gradient is what hurts here. After a sheer climb of 3,022 feet to a boulder marked by the Stars and Stripes, runners helter-skelter down the slope's scree, scrub and rocks to the finish on Fourth Avenue. Only one death has been recorded in a century, but there have been countless injuries. As one finisher put it: "If you're not bleeding in at least one spot, you didn't try hard enough".

Read a full preview of this year's Mount Marathon Race

6. Gourmet Golden Gate: San Francisco, California

Lucie Young, author of the Telegraph Travel city guide to San Francisco, suggests visitors try the Fourth of July Waterfront Festival: "The biggest day of celebration in the American calendar is marked with live entertainment, food stalls on the waterfront, and a spectacular fireworks display over San Francisco Bay."

Headliners for the event include WMJ, a trio of 12-year-olds who bill themselves as "the world's youngest social cause band"; they donate all fees to children's charities. Rock on!

* San Francisco city guide

7. Big stadium bash: Los Angeles, California

A hot ticket for July 4 is the Hollywood Bowl concert and fireworks, hosted by Smokey Robinson this year. Earlier in the day, take a 45-minute drive out to Huntingdon Beach and get there before 10am to see the annual all-American parade, with bands and majorettes.

* The best hotels in Los Angeles

8. Sci-Fi family fun: Celebration, Florida

Every town in the US has its Fourth of July observance, but Simon Venness, co-author of Telegraph Travel's expert guide to Florida, suggests that Disney-town Celebration's Sci-Fi Fourth of July event is one of the best for families. There's live music from America's Got Talent stars, a sci-fi-themed costume contest, bouncy castles, KidZone games and face painting, plenty of shopping and dining and a spectacular fireworks finale.

* The best hotels in Florida

9. Meet me in: St Louis, Missouri

Celebrate the independence of America under the Gateway Arch, the symbolic monument of east joining west, in Forest Park, on the banks of the Mississippi. Here each year, Fair St Louis, a three-day celebration, happens - with air shows, free concerts and a free firework display.

10. Celebrate freedom in the nation's capital: National Mall and Memorial, Washington, DC

Here is where you will see the fireworks, and they promise to be big and loud. You don't have to be on the Mall to see the celebrations but those who want to be in the hustle and bustle can also expect a concert in celebration of America's 230th birthday.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Fourth of July 2014: How to celebrate America's Independence Day

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Gather with the masses in the glorious park underneath the Brooklyn Bridge, overlooking the harbour, and take in Macy's Fourth of July fireworks spectacular. You can spend hours visiting the playground, carousel and taking in the art installations here, but don't forget to reserve a seat on the edge of the East River by 5pm for the 9pm show - there is no better place to watch America's biggest fireworks display.

# data[].attributes.headline
Annual Report showing sponsorship attractiveness

# data[].attributes.subject
Annual Report showing sponsorship attractiveness

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Annual Report [2009-10] - SBI Corporate Website

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Agricultural Banking State Bank Rewardz For Agricultural Rural Agri Debt Waiver / Debt Relief Scheme, 2008

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
This map shows which ethnicities have the largest ancestry in U.S. counties.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Is the country more or less diverse than you think?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Discover how over the centuries Bristol & America have seeped into each other's bones, creating a prolific history with our friends across the pond...

# data[].attributes.headline
Bristol's 4th of July Parade in pictures

# data[].attributes.subject
Bristol's 4th of July Parade in pictures

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Judy Squires met with other members of the Patriotic Exercises committee outside the Colt School at 6:45 a.m. They looked up through the drizzle at glowering skies and made the call to move the ceremony indoors. "Second time in 15 years," she said.

By the time Chief Marshal Tony Teixeira stepped off at 10:30 near the entrance to the state park, though, bright sunshine was glinting off Bristol Harbor, and the last of the glistening puddles had disappeared along Hope Street and the 2.5-mile-long parade route that ran straight through the heart of town. The climax of the weeks-long Independence Day celebration would go off with a big, loud, red-white-and-blue-sky bang. At 227 years and counting-the longest such tradition in the country-nothing was going to rain on Bristol's parade.

More than 100,000 people lined the parade route, on lawn chairs and beach towels and picnic blankets, hanging out of second-floor windows, standing five and six and seven deep. And here came the floats and twirling color guards and the marching bands and the drum-and-bugle corps, stepping smartly past preppies and punk rockers and Old Navy families and old folks and toddlers in strollers, all of them a waving sea of patriotic color: red-white-and-blue T-shirts and sundresses and sunglasses and Hawaiian leis and Uncle Sam hats and face paint and hair, starred-and-striped sandals and neckties and umbrellas and flags. Flags on sticks, flags on buttons, flags on drinking cups, and, backing all of them, flags hanging from flagpoles and utility poles and draped from awnings and windows and overhead wires, and bunting dressing up the old stately Colonials along the tree-shaded street.

Judy Squires sat in a lawn chair in front of the Colt School, near the halfway point of the parade route, and watched it all wash past: pipers in their kilts and the Clydesdales and the black convertible with Cranston's own dark-haired Olivia Culpo, 2012's Miss USA, waving to the throng. Judy watched the flower-filled float carrying Bristol's newly crowned Miss Fourth of July and Little Miss Fourth of July and, walking alongside them, her daughter, Heidi, co-chair of the pageant and a former Miss Fourth of July herself. As a little girl, she had helped her mom with the pageant and had grown up dreaming of one day wearing the crown.

It's not uncommon to find two and even three generations of the same family working together on the celebration-or taking on the same committee assignments decades apart. Judy remembers helping her mother in the kitchen making fudge at 7 years old, when her mother was working on the annual "Card Party" fundraiser, a few years before her father, John Partington, as chair of the Parade subcommittee, assigned Judy and a couple of her girlfriends to count all the people marching in the parade that year. Her father served on the committee for 57 years, including two years overseeing the whole operation as general chair. In time, Judy took on the chairmanship of the Card Party, then chaired Old Fashioned Days, Patriotic Exercises, the Parade, and various other subcommittees. In 2010 she took over the big job of general chair, commanding an army of 110 volunteers, a budget of $300,000, and a relentless schedule of events that included 13 concerts between Flag Day and the Fourth. "I'd been teaching for 35 years and thought I'd retire before signing up for general chair," Judy says. "It's really a full-time job. But I'm glad I didn't wait." Her father died early the next year at 89, and had had that one chance to watch Judy run the show. "You know," John told his daughter, "your job is much harder than mine was when I was general chair."

"You finally admit it!" Judy replied.

And here came the fifes and drums, the loud, smoky reports of the Minutemen re-enactors, the Army Guardsmen in their camo and the sailors in their crisp dress whites; here came veterans from Iwo Jima riding atop the Raytheon float; here came the convertible carrying Medal of Honor recipient Gary Wetzel, waving his prosthetic left arm to applause and cheers. (For the veterans and the enlisted men, Judy says, "it's pretty much a two-and-a-half-mile-long standing ovation.")

Amid all the pomp and color that is Bristol's Fourth of July celebration, the military is a reminder of why the community goes to such effort. The relationship between the two runs deeper than the parade. Every year for the past century, a naval ship has been invited to anchor in the harbor, its crew welcomed into volunteers' homes and encouraged to take part in the festivities. During Judy's first year as Parade chair, she got a call from a father in Colorado who knew that his son would be coming up to Bristol for the Fourth on a ship from Norfolk, Virginia. They had relatives in Maine who hadn't seen him in a long time: Would it be possible for them to all be together at the start of the parade route and surprise him?

"Of course," Judy told him.

After the parade, she sought out the family at the military picnic and softball game and greeted them in person.

During Judy's first year as general chair, she attended a reception for some of the men assigned to the USS Squall, the Cyclone-class patrol ship anchored in Bristol Harbor that July. She and her husband later went aboard and got a tour. Now, she sat and watched some sailors break formation and drift over to the crowd and exchange high-fives with a few little kids. She'd recently received a phone call from the former lieutenant commander of the Squall, Brian Luebbert, who had been so touched by the warmth he'd felt in Bristol that he'd asked to be assigned to the Naval War College in nearby Newport. He was here in Bristol now, with his wife and three kids-watching the parade from a bed-and-breakfast just a few doors down from the Colt School. When the parade finally ended, four hours after it had begun, Luebbert went to Judy's house to say thank you.
For details on this year's celebration, visit: july4thbristolri.com

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Bristol, Rhode Island 4th of July Celebration | A Red, White & Blue Day - New England Today

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Judy Squires met with other members of the Patriotic Exercises committee outside the Colt School at 6:45 a.m. They looked up through the drizzle at glowering skies and made the call to move the ceremony indoors. "Second time in 15 years," she said.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
BRISTOL, R.I. (WPRI) - The Bristol Fourth of July Parade won't kick off until Monday - but Friday, Bristolians were busy getting the route ready.

Perhaps the most anticipated part of Bristol's Fourth of July celebrations is the parade, which begins at the corner of Chestnut and Hope Streets.

Anderson Charest and his family were up early Friday morning setting up flags.

"We're putting the flags in because it helps the community and it just makes the parade look more patriotic," he told Eyewitness News.

The parade route is traditionally marked by patriotic paint and American flags.

"I just love the Fourth of July Parade and the flags and the fireworks - and the flags," said Tyler Scarborough of Bristol. "And I love seeing the flags out here on the stands."

Frances O'Donnell, parade chairwoman, said the parade is the oldest in the country.

"It is definitely the oldest continuing celebration in the country," she said. "We have staked a claim to that and no one has refuted it."

On Monday, 19 bands and 17 floats will make their way through the streets. Chestnut Street, Naomi Street and Sherry Avenue will all be closed to traffic beginning at 7 a.m. Hope Street with close at 8 a.m.

Organizers say if you're planning to watch the parade, you should find your spot early.

"We tell people they can't put their blankets and chairs out before 5 a.m., " O'Donnell said. "There's a few surprises maybe but I think they should come and see them so I don't want to give too much away."

For a full list of fireworks and festivities across the area, click here "

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
news  by annie shalvey; reporting by julianne peixoto wpri 12 eyewitness news

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.authors[].name
By Annie Shalvey; Reporting by Julianne Peixoto

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Preparations underway for Bristol 4th of July Parade

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
BRISTOL, R.I. (WPRI) - The Bristol Fourth of July Parade won't kick off until Monday - but Friday, Bristolians were busy getting the route ready. Perhaps the most anticipated part of Bristol's Fourth of July celebrations is the parade, which begins at the corner of Chestnut and Hope Streets.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Bristol - The town that boasts the nation's oldest Fourth of July celebration is in turmoil over a plan to shorten its 2.5-mile parade route.

The committee that runs the celebration in Bristol, R.I., voted last week to cut about half a mile off the route because of security concerns and feedback from bands that the parade is too long.

But opponents of the plan say it's an unwelcome change that was done without enough community input.

More than 2,500 people have signed an online petition opposing it.

The committee will take a revote Thursday night, and opponents say they plan to attend to fight it.

A celebration of Independence Day has taken place in Bristol since 1785 and now attracts around 100,000 people.

The event has become entwined with the town's identity.

A red-white-and-blue center stripe runs down the town's main street, and real estate listings for houses often note if they are on or near the parade route.

The route has changed in the past, but it always has wound through downtown Bristol.

It was lengthened about 40 years ago before the nation's bicentennial in 1976 and has kept to that route ever since.

Bristol Town Council Chairman Nathan Calouro said he understands why people are upset and disappointed; some have watched the parade along that section for decades and built up traditions around the parade and the patriotic festivities leading up to it.

For Bristol natives, July Fourth celebrations are "part of your psyche," Calouro added.

"We love the Fourth of July. We're not the most patriotic town in America for nothing," he said. "We commit to it."

Fran O'Donnell, the parade chairwoman, said the committee, which has more than 150 members, chose to cut that section because the only exit is along the street, and police officials in the past have said they worry about getting first responders and equipment there in an emergency.

O'Donnell said she expected some residents to be upset.

"Some people just don't like change," she said. "Unfortunately the ones that are unhappy are the loudest."

One resident complained to the attorney general's office that the committee violated open meetings laws by not posting on its agenda that a vote was scheduled, so O'Donnell called for another vote on Thursday night.

She thinks some committee members could be swayed, and the outcome could change because of the outcry.

O'Donnell said she knows Bristol takes pride in the parade.

"We're a very patriotic community," she said. "We get it. But it's not just Bristol's parade. I don't mean that to slight Bristolians, but it belongs to more than just Bristol."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
plan to shorten nation's oldest july 4th parade route draws fire

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Plan to shorten nation's oldest July 4th parade route draws fire

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Bristol - The town that boasts the nation's oldest Fourth of July celebration is in turmoil over a plan to shorten its 2.5-mile parade route. The committee that runs the celebration in Bristol, R.I., voted last week to cut about half a mile off the route because of security concerns and feedback from bands that the parade is too long.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
BRISTOL, R.I. -- The Bristol Fourth of July Parade route will be almost a half-mile shorter this year, after the committee voted 46 to 9 Wednesday night to shorten it, a news release announced Thursday.

Fran O'Donnell, chairwoman of the parade, said Thursday that the route for the Fourth of July Military, Civic and Firemen's Parade will be just shorter than 2 miles. It had been 2.4 miles.

O'Donnell said the decision was made after some groups declined their invitation to march in 2016, saying, "It's a great parade, but it's too long."

The start will be farther up Hope Street (Route 114) at the flagpole where Washington, Hope and Thames streets intersect. It had been at Chestnut and Hope.

The harbor will make a nice backdrop, O'Donnell said, and spectators at the starting point will be able to see the flyover, which trees had obscured at the former starting point.

From the flagpole, the parade will continue along Hope Street, turn left onto High Street at the Lobster Pot and end at Reynold's School as before.

The new staging areas have not yet been worked out, O'Donnell said.

The July 4 celebration in Bristol, established in 1785, is billed as the oldest continuous celebration in the United States.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Bristol Fourth of July Committee gives parade a new start, shortening route by about a half mile

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
BRISTOL, R.I. -- The Bristol Fourth of July Parade route will be almost a half-mile shorter this year, after the committee voted 46 to 9 Wednesday night to shorten it, a news release announced Thursday. Fran O'Donnell, chairwoman of the parade, said Thursday that the route for the Fourth of July Military, Civic and Firemen's Parade will be just shorter than 2 miles.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
On the evening of Wednesday, January 6, 2016 the Bristol Fourth of July Committee voted to eliminate most of the parade route section on Hope Street, altering the parade to just under 2 miles long. To all, this parade is more than just a historical event. This is an annual tradition between friends and family where people from all over the Country come to this beautiful, historic town to celebrate our freedom. Space on the sidewalk is already tight as it is. Cutting the parade just under a half mile will make things more crowded, not to mention create more tension while reserving a spot in the early morning. In addition, the elderly folks at both Benjamin Church Manor and the Veteran's home all have easier accessibility from the VFW and the corner of Chestnut and Hope. Is it fair to them to take away their accessibility all to make those who CHOOSE to march in our beloved parade happier? Although we do understand the committee feels as if this will be a better scenario for all those involved i.e.: performers, law enforcement, etc., we strongly disagree with this decision. If the heat is such an issue for those marching, they should be advised (as they usually are) of the extreme heat they could face and made sure to prepare accordingly. Please sign to send a message to the Fourth of July Committee that we respectfully do NOT agree with their decision. Please keep the parade route AS IS!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Keep the Bristol 4th of July Parade Route the SAME!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
On the evening of Wednesday, January 6, 2016 the Bristol Fourth of July Committee voted to eliminate most of the parade route section on Hope Street, altering the parade to just under 2 miles long. To all, this parade is more than just a historical event.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The route of the Bristol Fourth of July Parade hasn't changed since 1975, but organizers said Thursday they're shortening it for a variety of reasons.

"It's a long day, no water, no breaks," said Frances O'Donnell, one of the organizers for the historic parade.

The current route is about 2.5 miles long, but the parade committee voted Wednesday night to shorten it by six-tenths of a mile.

"It's a long distance, but in addition to that, our parade participants have to arrive by 8, 8:30 in the morning. The parade starts off at 10:30, first division, the last division ends at about 2:30," O'Donnell said.

This year's parade, the 231st, will start at Washington, Thames and Hope streets, but the rest of the route will stay the same.

That may be a disappointment for people who live on the stretch that was cut.

"They're used to having the parade come in front of their house on Fourth of July and they now are no longer going to be able to enjoy the parade there," said Connor Dowd of Keller Williams Realty.

Dowd said it's disappointing for current homeowners, but he doesn't think it will lower property values or prompt them to sell.

Ali Angelone, who rents a house on the parade route, said she's been coming to the parade since she was a child.

"I think it's really frustrating to change something that we've been doing since 1975," Angelone said. "It's so exciting to have all our friends and family come and root for our country."

O'Donnell said the new route more closely reflects the parade's traditional route and highlights the town's harbor, while also helping those who will march in the July heat.

But people in Bristol and beyond are upset, saying the decision was made too quickly and without public input.

Bill Pannoni of Warren said he usually watches the parade from the Veterans of Foreign Wars building.

"They put chairs out every year for the veterans to get them out of the Bristol home and that is like really exciting for them to do that," Pannoni said.

Pannoni said he would try to find another spot from which to watch, but he told NBC 10 News if it were too inconvenient, he would probably just watch on television.

O'Donnell said changes will also affect public safety by making it easier for police to patrol.

Angelone said she doesn't agree.

"I think the smaller the route, the more people will be packed in and I think that's actually unsafe because if something ever happened, God forbid, and you're trying to get out, it's not like people are so polite like, 'Here you go, go ahead, walk this way!'" Angelone said. "They're crawling on top of each other."

As for the house she rents, Angelone said she'll likely move.

"The sooner the better, I guess, you know, if this sticks," Angelone said.

O'Donnell, the parade chair, said she's still hopeful this will be a positive change.

"People typically don't like change, but I think when they see some of the possibilities of what we can do, we're hoping that they're as excited about it as I am," O'Donnell said.

A Save the Bristol 4th Parade Route community has already popped up on Facebook. There is also a petition on Change.org.

The change to the parade route follows a previous announcement that the Bristol Fourth of July Drum and Bugle Corps Competition Summer Music Preview will be held at Cranston Stadium this year. The show was held at Mount Hope High School for the previous 26 years.

Organizers said the stadium is more centrally located and can seat twice as many people.Residents in Bristol are fighting a change in the Fourth of July Parade route.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Historic Bristol Fourth of July parade route shortened

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The route of the Bristol Fourth of July Parade hasn't changed since 1975, but organizers said Thursday they're shortening it for a variety of reasons.It's a long day, no water, no breaks, said Frances O'Donnell, one of the organizers for the historic parad

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
On Monday, Americans will gather to celebrate Independence Day, which marks an event of massive historical significance for the country. These are the origins America's biggest holiday.
What is it?
4 July is the most significant national holiday in the United States. It celebrates the Declaration of Independence, adopted on 4 July, 1776. The Thirteen Colonies of America declared themselves to be states and no longer part of the British Empire, though the revolutionary war continued for some time after.
What's the story behind it?
The original United States of America was made up of a collection of East Coast states known as the Thirteen Colonies. These were: Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, Connecticut, Massachusetts Bay, Maryland, South Carolina, New Hampshire, Virginia, New York, North Carolina, and Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.

These mainly agricultural colonies were run by the British - who had been present on the continent since 1587 - and exploited for their resources, in particular tobacco.

While the relationship between the settlers and British was once amicable, tensions began to escalate over British laws and taxes, such as the Sugar Act, driven by British financial needs. There was also a growing sense of nationalism in the country.

From 1765, some settlers began to demand 'no taxation without representation', calling for their voice to be heard in the British parliament.

This tension sometimes erupted into fighting and acts of dissent, such as the Boston Tea Party in 1773. The event was a protest against the Tea Act, legislation which gave the British East India Company a monopoly on sales of tea in the Thirteen Colonies.

Further ill feeling was caused by the Coercive Acts - which became known as the 'Intolerable Acts' to American Patriots - which were implemented in response to the Boston Tea Party. The laws took power away from semi-autonomous Massachusetts.

In response to these factors, Continental Congresses - a meeting of delegates from the Thirteen Colonies - were convened. At the second meeting, in 1775, a war of independence against Britain was declared.

The next year, the Declaration of Independence was signed by 56 representatives of thirteen self-styled states (previously the Thirteen Colonies). The signatories included future president Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin.

The conflict continued until the 1783 Treaty of Paris, which ended the war in favour of an independent America.
How has it been celebrated through history?
Fireworks, speeches, parties, feasts and general celebrations have marked the day since the 18th century. In Bristol, Rhode Island, there was a salute of 13 gunshots in the morning and evening in 1777. The town has held the nation's longest running Independence Day celebration.

In 1778, George Washington, then a general in the revolutionary army, issued his troops with a double rum ration.

The first recorded music commemorating independence was the 'Pslam of Joy', written by Johann Friedrich Peter in Salem, North Carolina.

Many towns and cities across the US have their own annual celebrations.
How has the government marked it?
Congress made the day an unpaid national holiday for federal workers in 1870, and in 1938 it became a paid holiday across the country. Government officials also take part in celebratory functions and make speeches.
How do people celebrate it today?
Firework displays and parties are the most well-known activities associated with Independence Day. All major cities have fireworks displays and there is also one given by the White House. As a national holiday, it also serves as an occasion for reunions and vacations.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Why Independence Day is so important to Americans

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The history behind America's biggest holiday

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
To ring in another July Fourth, most Americans will kick off celebrations with beer, BBQ and fireworks.

Most, but not all.

On Independence Day, the stirring words of Thomas Jefferson's Declaration of Independence, promising "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness," set the tone. Buried a bit further down, however, is another passage that is somewhat less well-known:

"...the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions."

That line, and America's subsequent history with Native Americans, goes a long way toward explaining why the holiday largely does not resonate with the United States' roughly 5.2 million indigenous peoples.

"Any holiday that would refer to my people in such a repugnant, racist manner is certainly not worth celebrating," Simon Moya-Smith, a culture editor at Indian Country Today told Mic. "[July Fourth] is a day we celebrate our resiliency, our culture, our languages, our children and we mourn the millions - literally millions - of indigenous people who have died as a consequence of American imperialism."

For him, Independence Day is a celebration of genocide. A number of tribes and nations contacted for this story expressed various levels of discomfort with the holiday.

An overlooked history: Moya-Smith, who is half Oglala Lakota and half Chicano, grew up in Denver. Like most Native Americans today, Moya-Smith didn't grow up on a reservation. His family relocated from the Pine Ridge "Rez" in South Dakota after the U.S. initiated programs in the 1950s to encourage Native Americans to assimilate into big cities.

Oglala Lakota like Moya-Smith have ample reason for anger towards America's celebration of itself. The Lakota were among the last holdouts of Native Americans who resisted the westward expansion of the United States, which came to a crescendo at the Battle of Wounded Knee in 1890, where the U.S. Seventh Cavalry massacred more than 250 Lakota people.

"We are a minority in our own country," Moya-Smith said. "How did that happen? It wasn't just germs."

While many Lakota people take a pass on the Fourth, they do share an equal respect for their own heritage. "This is the 125th year since the Wounded Knee Massacre," Moya-Smith said, adding there would be a march to the site to remember the dead, which has occurred annually since 1973.

And on the Fourth itself? "I'll go grocery shopping," Moya-Smith said flatly. "The stores are empty."

Moya-Smith's tough words were not, however, shared by everyone. While few tribes appeared to engage in the full court celebration of America's founding, some, like the Chickasaw and Navajo, took a more typical approach.

Malcolm Benally, a 43-year-old Navajo currently living on a reservation in Forest Lakes, Arizona, said his people were more willing to get into the spirit of the Fourth.

"Large numbers of [Navajo] people are very patriotic and love their country," he told Mic. "You'll see a lot of small flags flying not just for the Fourth of July but all times of the year."

While the United States committed atrocities to the Navajo, including 1864's forced resettlement known as the Long Walk, the tribe also has a proud history of cooperation with the U.S. Most famously, Benally cited the World War II Navajo code talkers, who helped transmit sensitive military information using their all but impenetrable local language.

On the Navajo reservation, Benally said, the strongest pockets of support for the holiday come from its older residents, who received a traditional U.S. education that, at the time, downplayed much of the history between the U.S. and native tribes.

"The generation right before me went through a lot of assimilation policies," Benally said. "Younger people, benefiting from a more balanced education, native historians and the Internet, have a stronger sense of identity."

For this year's July Fourth, the reservation town of Kayenta is planning a carnival with fireworks and a rodeo. Thanks to Benally's work, the festive atmosphere will also include an exhibit featuring native history and talking about new threats the tribe faces, including land contamination by uranium.

"There's nothing wrong with getting cotton candy and going to the carnival and having fun," Benally said. "We're all in this boat together now, whether you're black, or white, or Asian or Navajo. We have to work together now to get out of the problems we have in the world today."

Like the nations of Europe or Asia, Native American tribes cannot simply be classified as a single bloc. "We're very different people, and no one nation can speak for another," Moya-Smith said.

While opinions were predictably diverse, there was general agreement the Fourth of July is more than just a simple celebration of the triumph of the United States. Today, Native American populations are still suffering the effects of their dislocations. A quarter of the United States' indigenous populations live below the poverty line. Their high school drop-out rate is more than double that of whites, and almost 12% die from alcohol-related causes, which is more than triple the number for the U.S. population as a whole.

Like Thanksgiving or Columbus Day, there is another side to Independence Day, which - as the fireworks pierce the skies during this year's festivities - deserves some serious consideration.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Meet the Millions of Americans Who Have Nothing to Celebrate on July 4th

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
To ring in another July Fourth, most Americans will kick off celebrations with beer, BBQ and fireworks. Most, but not all. On Independence Day, the stirring words of Thomas Jefferson's Declaration of Independence, promising "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness," set the tone.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Though the local news stations will not be broadcasting the Fourth of July parade this year, Rhode Islanders who can't make it to the parade won't have to worry about missing a minute of the festivities. According to a release from Full Channel, the town of Bristol and Full Channel have teamed up to televise the parade live with the help of local volunteers.

Levi C. Maaia, vice president of Full Channel, says that a group of public access television videographers and producers organized by the Bristol Town Council offered to produce the event live for cable television.

"This is the first year in recent memory that none of the local broadcast TV stations are covering the parade live. We are very thankful to the volunteers who are willing to help fill the gap by producing this for the Town," said Bristol Town Council Chairman Kenneth A. Marshall

Full Channel will be providing the live television connection from Downtown Bristol, to local public access television and live online streaming for the telecast.

"When the Town asked if Full Channel could step in to help keep this Bristol tradition on TV, we were happy to provide our support," Maaia said.

Coverage of the parade will begin Monday, July 4, at approximately 11:30 a.m. on channel 9 for Full Channel's cable television customers in Bristol, Warren and Barrington and will also stream live worldwide at www.fullchannel.net.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Full Channel to Broadcast Live Bristol Parade Coverage

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Though the local news stations will not be broadcasting the Fourth of July parade this year, Rhode Islanders who can't make it to the parade won't have to worry about missing a minute of the festivities. According to a release from Full Channel, the town of Bristol and Full Channel have teamed up to televise the parade live with the help of local volunteers.

# data[].attributes.headline
Video of the Parade - Broadcasting Coverage

# data[].attributes.subject
Video of the Parade - Broadcasting Coverage

# data[].attributes.headline
ABC6 News coverage and rebroadcasting message

# data[].attributes.subject
ABC6 News coverage and rebroadcasting message

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
If you missed our broadcast of the Bristol 4th of July Parade, you're in luck! We will rebroadcast the parade in its entirety this Saturday at noon on ABC6. You can also catch it live streaming on...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.embed_code
Post by ABC6News.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Some Native American communities celebrated the Fourth of July by both flying American flags and holding ceremonies celebrating their history and traditions.

Over the weekend, Twitter was flooded with posts reminding party-goers that many indigenous people were killed as a result of America's rise. In fact, many Native Americans still feel uncomfortable with Independence Day celebrations and don't commemorate the holiday, Mic reported.

But Verne's social media analysis of indigenous communities nationwide revealed a more complex picture: Native American communities flew the American flag high as they hosted ceremonies unique to the communities, indicating a merging of traditions.

Fourth of July weekend is one of the most popular times for Native Americans to host powwows, festivals and reunions. That's due in part to policies that used to ban Native American communities from gathering on days that were not official national holidays. It is also a result of contemporary efforts to blend traditional arts with new traditions. Over the weekend, some Native American communities paraded the American flags at those events and others such as Navajo Nation's Kayenta Township's rodeo competitions.

Still, July 4th remains hotly contested within some communities. Yesterday, a Facebook post by Indian Country Media Today Network asked " Do Native Americans Celebrate the 4th of July? " and quickly received over 500 comments from self-identified indigenous peoples expressing passionate arguments for both sides.

"It's a beautiful time, it's a beautiful way" Happy 4th of July!!! pic.twitter.com/f3qzyKOsxU

- Elise Johnson (@elisej89) July 4, 2015

Read More:

"Tribal" Fashion Collection Angers Native Americans (Vocativ)
Do American Indians Celebrate the 4th of July? (Indian County Today Media Network)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How Native Americans Celebrated the Fourth of July

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Some Native American communities celebrated the Fourth of July by both flying American flags and holding ceremonies celebrating their history and traditions. Over the weekend, Twitter was flooded with posts reminding party-goers that many indigenous people were killed as a result of America's rise.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Annual Fourth of July Celebration | Bristol, Rhode Island | License Plate

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
If you would like to become a Sponsor for the 231st Celebration you can either download the entire package or the specific level you want. 2016 Sponsor Package - Coming Soon!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Bristol 4th of July | Annual Celebration Bristol, RI

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Bristol's Annual Fourth of July Celebration, established in 1785, is the oldest continuous celebration of its kind in the United States. The Bristol Fourth of July Parade begins at 10:30 a.m. and will step-off at the corner of Chestnut Street and Hope Street (Rt. 114) and ends on High Street, between State Street and Bradford Street.

# data[].attributes.headline
How the Bristol 4th of July Committee raise funds

# data[].attributes.subject
How the Bristol 4th of July Committee raise funds

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The Bristol 4th of July Committee could soon get extra funding for the patriotic festivities from Rhode Island drivers who purchase a new license plate in the making.

According to a release from the State House, the House supported a bill sponsored by Rep. Raymond E. Gallison Jr. to issue a new specialty license plate promoting the Bristol Independence Day celebration and raising money to help support the parade, which began 1785.

The release goes on to say that the red, white and blue plates, which would be decorated with stars, stripes, a parade logo, and the message "America's Oldest Fourth of July Celebration," would cost drivers an additional $40. Half of the fee would go to the state and the other half would go to the parade committee to fund the festivities. The 2.6-mile parade, attended by thousands from all over Rhode Island and beyond, costs about $250,000 annually, most of which is raised by the parade committee.

"The Bristol 4 th of July Parade is one of the most well-loved traditions in Rhode Island, and these plates will help keep it going, both by raising much-needed funding and by serving to promote the parade year-round," said Representative Gallison (D-Dist. 69, Bristol, Portsmouth). "These plates will be a fun way for Rhode Islanders who love the parade to help support it and to show their pride in this historical and patriotic celebration."

Under the bill, an initial order of 900 plates will be required before the state will print any. The parade committee itself will be responsible for collecting enough applications to meet that first order. After the initial run of 900, the Division of Motor Vehicles will directly handle orders for the plates. The bill ( 2011-H 5378 A) will now be sent to the Senate for consideration.

According to the application on the Bristol 4th of July website, only passenger vehicle plates qualify for the 4th of July plate. Commercial, combination, suburban or similar plates do not qualify. Those interested in applying for a plate can click here for more information.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
House Approves Bristol 4th of July Parade License Plates

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Bristol 4th of July Committee could soon get extra funding for the patriotic festivities from Rhode Island drivers who purchase a new license plate in the making. According to a release from the State House, the House supported a bill sponsored by Rep. Raymond E. Gallison Jr.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The U.S. Census Bureau must adhere to the 1997 Office of Management and Budget (OMB) standards on race and ethnicity which guide the Census Bureau in classifying written responses to the race question:

White - A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa.

Black or African American - A person having origins in any of the Black racial groups of Africa.

American Indian or Alaska Native - A person having origins in any of the original peoples of North and South America (including Central America) and who maintains tribal affiliation or community attachment.

Asian - A person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippine Islands, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander - A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands.

The 1997 OMB standards permit the reporting of more than one race. An individual's response to the race question is based upon self-identification.

An individual's response to the race question is based upon self-identification. The Census Bureau does not tell individuals which boxes to mark or what heritage to write in. For the first time in Census 2000, individuals were presented with the option to self-identify with more than one race and this continued with the 2010 Census. People who identify with more than one race may choose to provide multiple races in response to the race question. For example, if a respondent identifies as "Asian" and "White," they may respond to the question on race by checking the appropriate boxes that describe their racial identities and/or writing in these identities on the spaces provided.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This section provides detailed information and statistics on Race. Find the latest news, publications, and other content.

# data[].attributes.headline
Most Popular Ethnicitys in US according to the Census

# data[].attributes.subject
Most Popular Ethnicitys in US according to the Census

# data[].attributes.headline
Bristol's 4th of July Parade Event Info 

# data[].attributes.subject
Bristol's 4th of July Parade Event Info 

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Monday's festivities will feature 19 bands, floats, horses and antique vehicles.

BRISTOL, R.I. - The fireworks - aka the local brouhaha over the parade route - are long over, and with the town's red, white and blue-lined streets freshly painted, it's time to enjoy the pageantry that is the nation's longest-running Independence Day celebration.

The town's annual Fourth of July Parade steps off Monday at 10:30 a.m. from the corner of Chestnut and Hope streets, finishing at High Street, between State and Bradford streets.

About 50,000 people, including local residents and tourists, attended last year's parade, said parade chairperson Frances O'Donnell.

"To most Bristolians, the Fourth of July is bigger than Christmas," said general chairwoman Donna Falcoa.

Parade-goers this year will see and hear 19 bands, including two military bands and two drum and bugle corps - along with stilt-walkers, Clydesdale horses, elaborate floats, antique cars and fire trucks, as well as a plethora of politicians and marching members of the military.

Highlights include the Royal Bahamian Defence Force band, which was popular with the crowd last year, O'Donnell said, and an appearance by Florida-based Donna Lange, who has sailed solo around the world, along with her boat. This year's chief marshal is native Bristolian and longtime committee member Herculano Falcoa, husband of the committee's general chairwoman.

The parade will again traverse the standard 2.4-mile route - despite this winter's controversy. After announcing that the parade route would be shortened by about a half-mile, the Bristol Fourth of July Committee responded to public outcry and restored the route to its previous length.

"It's the same route that it's been for 40 years, and I'm fine with it," said O'Donnell, who proposed the change for safety reasons. "People were heard. It's part of our democracy."

O'Donnell pointed out that the Bristol parade - officially known as the Military, Civic and Fireman's Fourth of July Parade - is not just for fun, but a way to honor servicemen and women. "It's about the spirit of volunteerism and freedom," she said.

Here are some things to know before you go:

- Placing blankets and chairs, or other ways to claim a space along the parade route, will not be allowed before Monday at 5 a.m. Overnight camping is also prohibited.

- Expect street closures. Hope Street (Route 114) will be closed Monday beginning at 8 a.m. Chestnut Street, Naomi Street and Sherry Avenue will be closed beginning at 7 a.m. A parking ban along the parade route goes into effect the night of Sunday, July 3.

- Parking is "basically anywhere you can find it," O'Donnell said. She suggested looking for parking on side streets and at Gooding Plaza, off Route 114.

- Alcohol is prohibited, but parade-goers are welcome to bring cold drinks. Hats and sunscreen are also recommended.

- Pets are not allowed.

- A viewing section for people with disabilities will be set up at Hope and Court streets, across from the Harriet Bradford Motor Inn.

- Bristol's 4th of July celebration also includes several other events. Patriotic exercises at 8:30 a.m. Monday at Colt Memorial School on Hope Street kick off the festivities. There will also be concerts in Independence Park on Thames Street on Friday at 6:30 p.m., Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 6:30 p.m., and a carnival on the Town Common on State Street Thursday through Monday. A fireworks display over Bristol Harbor is scheduled for Sunday at 9:30 p.m.

For more information, go to july4thbristolri.com.

-jpelletier@providencejournal.com

(401) 277-7281

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Everything you need to know about Bristol's Fourth of July parade

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Monday's festivities will feature 19 bands, floats, horses and antique vehicles. BRISTOL, R.I. - The fireworks - aka the local brouhaha over the parade route - are long over, and with the town's red, white and blue-lined streets freshly painted, it's time to enjoy the pageantry that is the nation's longest-running Independence Day celebration.