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From fishing to fanfare, what presidents do on the Fourth explained

Thousands of tourists and spectators use their smart phones and cameras to document fireworks as they explode over the National Mall for Fourth of July celebrations in Washington, photographed from Lincoln Memorial on Saturday, July 4, 2015. Al Drago/CQ Roll Call
Thousands of tourists and spectators use their smart phones and cameras to document fireworks as they explode over the National Mall for Fourth of July celebrations in Washington, photographed from Lincoln Memorial on Saturday, July 4, 2015. Al Drago/CQ Roll Call

Traditionally, it isn’t typical of a president to insert themselves into Independence Day festivities. After all, Franklin Roosevelt spent one of his July Fourth holidays in the Bahamas, and Coolidge went fishing. But which presidents have made a big to-do about the nation’s birthday?

This year President Donald Trump has scheduled a Fourth of July celebration extravaganza in front of the Lincoln Memorial, and Roll Call is here to explain the history of which presidents celebrated in the nation’s capitol and who took the opportunity for a little R&R.

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