WASHINGTON (AP) \u2014 The 250th anniversary of American independence is colliding with a country gripped by political polarization and a heat wave bearing down on millions of people across multiple states as celebrations got underway Saturday throughout the United States.<\/p>\n
The signing of the Declaration of Independence, one of history\u2019s most celebrated articulations of democratic ambitions, is being marked in myriad ways. <\/p>\n
President Donald Trump<\/a> plans to speak on the National Mall before what is being billed as a historically enormous fireworks show that will rain down over the nation\u2019s capital. He was in South Dakota at Mount Rushmore on Friday, where he delivered a dark speech<\/a> about the threat of communism in the U.S.<\/p>\n Fireworks are scheduled to be set off over Navy Pier in Chicago and against the skyline of New York City<\/a>. New York hosted a ball drop at midnight to usher in the holiday with the same fanfare as New Year\u2019s Eve and saw tall ships parade pass the Statue of Liberty, recalling the fanfare around America\u2019s 200th anniversary in 1976. <\/p>\n Anticipation for the milestone holiday has been building for much of the year, serving as an opportunity for Americans to reflect on their complicated history as onetime colonists of an empire who became a superpower of their own. Celebrations months in the making had to adjust or cancel activities entirely as much of the East Coast sweltered under heat that approached and in many cases surpassed triple digits.<\/p>\n Undeterred, a U.S. Marine from Guinea became a newly minted citizen at George Washington\u2019s Mount Vernon in Virginia, wearing a crisp dress uniform and a small smile, while a 7-year-old raced onto a parade route in Brattleboro, Vermont, to snatch a Tootsie Roll. In Louisville, Kentucky, people used a Sharpie equipped with a feather to scribble their signatures on a copy of the Declaration of Independence.<\/p>\n Heat is defining the big weekend in many places<\/p>\n In Washington, a rodeo and the city\u2019s main Independence Day parade scheduled for Saturday were canceled, but a smaller one rolled along in the Capitol Hill neighborhood in the morning as onlookers sought shade under trees along the route. Also in the area, dozens of members of the white nationalist group Patriot Front wearing face masks and carrying Confederate battle flags held a march. No arrests were reported, according to the Metropolitan Police Department.<\/p>\n An extreme heat warning was issued for the District of Columbia, where heat index values could approach 115 degrees Fahrenheit (46 C). Organizers for events later Saturday on the National Mall said they were monitoring the weather. Triple-degree heat was also forecast in from the Southeast U.S. to New England, though the heat could ease somewhat with strong thunderstorms later.<\/p>\n In Philadelphia, fireworks began to crack as early as midday in the birthplace of the nation near the site where the Declaration of Independence was adopted by delegates to the Second Continental Congress. Hundreds of visitors were gathering at Independence Hall in the sweltering heat to await the celebrations coinciding with the France-Paraguay World Cup knockout game at Philadelphia Stadium, which began with commemorations of the holiday.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \n Sign up for Morning Wire:<\/strong> \u201cIt\u2019s one big party in here,\u201d Carlos Alban, who traveled to Philadelphia from Chicago to watch the match, said as he arrived at the stadium, adding that he spotted a fan in the parking lot dressed as one of the Founding Fathers. <\/p>\n About 45 minutes before another World Cup<\/a> match in Houston, a message from astronauts aboard the International Space Station noting the holiday was beamed into the stadium.<\/p>\n
\n Our flagship newsletter breaks down the biggest headlines of the day.\n <\/p>\n