<Li> In 1777, thirteen gunshots were fired in salute, once at morning and once again as evening fell, on July 4 in Bristol, Rhode Island . Philadelphia celebrated the first anniversary in a manner a modern American would find familiar: an official dinner for the Continental Congress, toasts, 13 - gun salutes, speeches, prayers, music, parades, troop reviews, and fireworks . Ships in port were decked with red, white, and blue bunting . </Li> <Li> In 1778, from his headquarters at Ross Hall, near New Brunswick, New Jersey, General George Washington marked July 4 with a double ration of rum for his soldiers and an artillery salute (feu de joie). Across the Atlantic Ocean, ambassadors John Adams and Benjamin Franklin held a dinner for their fellow Americans in Paris, France . </Li> <Ul> <Li> In 1779, July 4 fell on a Sunday . The holiday was celebrated on Monday, July 5 . </Li> <Li> In 1781, the Massachusetts General Court became the first state legislature to recognize July 4 as a state celebration . </Li> <Li> In 1783, Moravians in Salem, North Carolina, held a celebration of July 4 with a challenging music program assembled by Johann Friedrich Peter . This work was titled The Psalm of Joy . This is recognized as the first recorded celebration and is still celebrated there today . </Li> <Li> In 1870, the U.S. Congress made Independence Day an unpaid holiday for federal employees . </Li> <Li> In 1938, Congress changed Independence Day to a paid federal holiday . </Li> </Ul> <Li> In 1779, July 4 fell on a Sunday . The holiday was celebrated on Monday, July 5 . </Li>

When did the fourth of july become a federal holiday