To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the Centennial International Exhibition of 1876, the first official World's fair in the United States, was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from May 10th to November 10, 1876. More than 200 buildings were constructed within the Exposition's grounds which were surrounded by a fence almost 3 miles long. The largest building on the grounds was the main building which enclosed 21.5 acres. It was the largest building by area in the world at the time. One of the highlights of the ceremony was turning on the Corliss Steam Engine which powered most of the other machines at the exposition. The opening ceremony was attended by President Ulysses S. Grant and his wife along with the Emperor of Brazil. Officially, 186,272 people attended the first day.
In President Grant's State of the Union address that year, he celebrated the great success of the exhibition. The exhibition had shown the great progress that America has made in the first 100 years in the areas of arts, sciences and mechanical skills. It was sort of a "coming out" party for America, showing that we have caught up to Europe and Asia in many areas, and in some far surpassed all others in the world. In 1876, America celebrated it's Independence with pride. Bringing together people from all sections of our country for the exposition instilled a sense of pride in every American.
"The international exhibition held in Philadelphia this year, in commemoration of the one hundredth anniversary of American independence, has proven a great success, and will, no doubt, be of enduring advantage to the country. It has shown the great progress in the arts, sciences, and mechanical skill made in a single century, and demonstrated that we are but little behind older nations in any one branch, while in some we scarcely have a rival. It has served, too, not only to bring peoples and products of skill and labor from all parts of the world together, but in bringing together people from all sections of our own country, which must prove a great benefit in the information imparted and pride of country engendered."We have times for memorials, and times for mourning. But let's never forget that sense of Pride to be an American. Let's celebrate our great country and be proud, not just on the Fourth of July, but every day.
http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=29517
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centennial_Exposition
https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/creating-the-united-states/DeclarationofIndependence/DeclarationLegacy/Assets/us0114_06_enlarge.jpg
http://s3.amazonaws.com/libapps/accounts/175/images/Grant500.jpg
Awesome facts!!!!
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