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10 Facts About Firecrackers That Will Blow You Away

Firecrackers are essentially un-American, even though they are associated with a deeply patriotic celebration, the Fourth of July. The fact is that firecrackers are foreign-born novelties, and have been as long as Americans have lit them for a noisy salute to the nation's birth. As it turns out, firecracker history is as colorful and complicated as the lithographed artwork used to sell them.
Warren Dotz, a pop-culture historian, collector, and author of many books, including a pair on cat and dog food labels, spoke with Collectors Weekly about their story.