Independence Day

I was reminded by my parish priest during his comments in his homily at the July 4th Mass I attended, that Missouri was never under the rule of the British.  While most everyone in the United States celebrates Independence Day on July the 4th, most of what is now the United States did not belong to Great Britain in 1776.  Missouri for example, was first settled by the French Canadians in 1764 but quickly fell under the rule of Spain until France took it back in 1800 under the Treaty of San Ildefonso.  In 1803 it became known as the Missouri Territory as part of the Louisiana Purchase, and did not become a state of the union until 1821.  So while we all celebrate July the 4th as the birthday of the United States, you have to look to your own state's history to determine when it actually became a part of the union, which for Missouri was August 10, 1821.  This begs the question:  why don't states make a bigger deal about the anniversary date of when they became a part of the United States?  Why don't we in Missouri, celebrate August 10th with fireworks?

Fireworks

4th of July Fireworks Display