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CNN Live Event/Special
The Fourth in America Celebrating 250. Aired 6-7p ET
Aired July 04, 2026 - 18:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: Awesome advice.
VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: Well, Miki Sudo, thank you so much for being with us. Happy Fourth to all of you. Happy Birthday to you!
SIDNER: Happy Birthday!
BLACKWELL: In four days.
SIDNER: Yay!
MIKI SUDO: Thank you.
BOY: Thank you.
BLACKWELL: You're welcome! See you then. This is the special Fourth in America.
SIDNER: What an awesome family!
BLACKWELL: The coverage continues right now.
[18:00:21]
ANNOUNCER: America is turning 250, a milestone, a moment, a party centuries in the making. So get ready because the celebrations are about to start.
And in cities across the country, it is time to party like its 1776. Tonight CNN takes you across America with the biggest fireworks show on television from the Empire State to the Golden State, letting freedom ring and roar and sing. A spectacle worthy of 250 years.
Featuring musical performances from Charlie Puth, Kane Brown, Chris Stapleton, Goo Goo Dolls, Lainey Wilson, Josh Groban, Jennifer Hudson, Chance the Rapper, Maren Morris, AJR, Steve Aoki, Lil Wayne, Christina Aguilera and the Boston Pops.
Now, a CNN special event, the Fourth in America, Celebrating 250.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST: And you are looking at live pictures of Boston, the birthplace of the American Revolution, right now, crowds are gathered on the shores of the Charles River to celebrate this once in a lifetime milestone in our nation's history.
We are just minutes away from a star-studded concert with the legendary Boston Pops that is just the beginning of a very special night as we mark 250 years of the American story with spectacular parties and star studded performances across the country.
I am Anderson Cooper, you are watching the Fourth in America Celebrating 250, a CNN Special Event.
And of course, as night falls, dazzling firework displays will light up the skies over cities and towns, big and small all across the country.
We are going to kick it off with an epic fireworks display right here in Boston, where the Tea Party and Paul Revere ignited the Revolution.
Then we will take you live to New York City. Take a look at the skyline, that majestic view will be aglow with fireworks when darkness falls.
And in New York Harbor, Lady Liberty, the enduring symbol of America's promise, we will take it all in.
We will also take you to the nation's capital, Washington, D.C., where thousands are gathering on the National Mall, ready to celebrate America's 250th with what could be the largest fireworks display in history.
But that is not all, there are more fireworks from coast-to-coast in Philadelphia, lighting up the Liberty Bell; Nashville, dazzling music city; St. Louis, blazing above the Gateway Arch; New Orleans, shimmering over the Big Easy; Houston starring in the Lone Star State as well, and taking us all the way to the West Coast, San Diego shining on Pacific Shores.
This is a once in a generation celebration of our nation's history, the spirit and our future. One nation, one milestone, one extraordinary night and I am so glad you are here with all of us to celebrate.
So without further ado, let us get this party started. I am here in Boston with my friend and colleague, Pamela Brown.
Pam, Happy Fourth of July.
PAMELA BROWN, CNN HOST AND CHIEF INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT: Happy fourth and this is no regular Fourth, Anderson, the 250th. I mean, you think about where we are sitting right here in Boston and all the history that surround us, all the actions that happened here that led to the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, 1776. It is so inspiring when you look back at that history to bring it to here today, and you see it reflected in the crowd behind us. They are getting ready to celebrate with the Boston Pops.
COOPER: Yup!
BROWN: There will be a fireworks show. Theres going to be a revolutionary themed drone show as well and actually a fun fact here, I didn't realize this until today, but Boston was one of the first cities in America that actually started this tradition of fireworks on the Fourth of July, starting in 1777 over the Boston Commons.
So pretty cool up here.
COOPER: This is where about 15,000 people gathered behind us to hear the Boston Pops. Also, hundreds of thousands elsewhere, all throughout Boston, along the river to see the fireworks. I want to check out the gathering on the National Mall in D.C., where tonight we may get to see a world record for the largest fireworks show in history.
CNN's Dana Bash and Boris Sanchez are getting ready for the celebrations there. I want to check in with Dana and Boris. What's the mood there right now?
DANA BASH, CNN ANCHOR AND POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Exciting! Hot, like I am sure it is where you are, but very exciting. You can probably see behind us we are right in front of the stage where we expect President Trump to speak and other dignitaries.
I am not sure if you can hear that, but we certainly can. There have been a slew of flyovers making this celebration!
[18:05:10]
Wow! Look at that! Pretty amazing! Making this celebration even more remarkable.
BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: We've been watching these incredible aircraft do pirouettes in the sky all afternoon under a crowd of thousands that have gathered here to watch not only this record setting potentially fireworks show, but also a speech from President Trump, music and it is going to be a huge party here in D.C. It is loud and it is hot. And I guess that's the way to be on America's 250th birthday.
BASH: You and I have done this now for several years, and we have seen some spectacular fireworks. But the plan is for fireworks like we have never seen here.
They are expecting 850,000 fireworks. That is a 12,000 percent increase over last year. I can't even imagine how that's going to look.
SANCHEZ: It is a show that's going to last some 40 minutes with locations spread out all across the nation's capital. Notably, no official cost has been given, but we are anticipating that this is going to cost upwards of $1.5 million. We were just speaking to the owner of the company that's helping to orchestrate all of this, Stephen Vitale, and he has told us that so much work has gone into this, conceptualizing it, putting together the aesthetics, what it is going to look like and all we have to do is watch the sun go down and stand back for what is going to be an unforgettable show.
BASH: They want to break a world record. Let's see if they do that -- Anderson and Pam.
COOPER: Yes, well, we will bring you all the festivities down from Washington. We are also going to bring you all the festivities, not just from here in Boston, but also New York City. Let's go there now, where fireworks will be launched up to a thousand feet in the air tonight. Look at that incredible view. Wow! Ive never seen the Empire State Building like that.
High up along the Manhattan Skyline. CNN's Victor Blackwell and Sara Sidner at the top of the Empire State Building -- Victor and Sara.
Victor and Sara, I don't know if you're operating that drone, but it is pretty incredible. It has been quite a weekend already in New York City. Tonight's fun hasn't even started yet.
BLACKWELL: Anderson, there is so much energy in this city. I mean, you've got the Taylor and Travis energy. It is an international city on a regular day.
SIDNER: Right, the World Cup is here. But --
BLACKWELL: The World Cup.
SIDNER: The New York Knicks.
BLACKWELL: Yes!
SIDNER: And I know you know, I know you were celebrating because we all were. The New York Knicks, champions, right? There is so much going on here today.
BLACKWELL: And then the candle on the cake, this magnificent show that's going to happen here, 85,000 shells and 20,000 of them reserved for the Brooklyn Bridge with this amazing show that's going to happen there. Typically, there is one from the Empire State Building, but we are here tonight.
I mean, this is going to be a fantastic show in 30 different colors, 75 pyrotechnicians who are working on this. It is going to be amazing. And we have the best shot, the best view!
SIDNER: We have the best view, 240 different positions all over. So this is going to light up the city much brighter than we are used to seeing in Times Square, which is really hard to do. We wish you were with us, Anderson, but you're in a great spot today.
COOPER: Yes, I was actually in New York for the 100th birthday of the Brooklyn Bridge, and I got to go and I got to see the fireworks display back then, I was a kid, I think I was like a teenager and it was incredible. They had like a wall of waterfall of fireworks coming off the bridge. I am very curious to see if they top that tonight.
BROWN: Wow!
COOPER: We are joined here in Boston with incredibly talented actress, one of the funniest people on television, also, she is the host of "The Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular Tonight." You may know her from screens, big and small. She calls it the ultimate celebration and it is an honor to have her here. Ladies and gentlemen, Jane Lynch.
JANE LYNCH, COMEDIAN AND ACTRESS: Hello. Thank you, Anderson.
COOPER: It is so great to have you.
BROWN: Great to have you here.
LYNCH: I am so happy to be here.
COOPER: How -- first of all, you look amazing.
LYNCH: Thank you.
COOPER: Are you very hot?
LYNCH: I am very hot. It was so hot yesterday though, Anderson.
COOPER: Yes.
LYNCH: Today feels like an arctic to me.
COOPER: Okay. You've adapted.
LYNCH: Yes, Ive adapted.
BROWN: We do have a light breeze.
LYNCH: Yes, there is a bit of a breeze, about ten degrees less than it was yesterday.
COOPER: It is such a lovely atmosphere. I drove in from New York this morning. I was just walking around. Everyone is so happy and together and people have come from all over the country to be here.
LYNCH: Boston is a wonderful place.
COOPER: It is such a cool town.
LYNCH: It is so clean, at least where we are. I am just blown away. It is such a --
COOPER: It is also such a small town in so many ways.
LYNCH: Yes. It does feel like a small town. The people are really friendly and there are little parks kind of scattered around the city. It I just so lovely.
BROWN: And you think about the history, too. We were talking about, you know --
LYNCH: Right.
BROWN: We are right by the Charles River -- just how much happened in this great city 250 years ago.
LYNCH: Yes.
BROWN: You know, that really isn't that long ago.
LYNCH: No!
BROWN: When you think about how young this country is and how the actions that took place in the city by the people led to what we are celebrating here today.
LYNCH: Exactly. And that every generation, we have to protect it and kind of rededicate ourselves.
BROWN: Yes.
COOPER: Do you remember like Fourth of July celebrations from when you were growing up?
LYNCH: I do. I grew up in Dalton, Illinois, which is a small town just outside of Chicago and we had the Dalton Parade every year. We all wore the red, white and blue. My dad is a vet and he loved putting that flag up. And yes, it was a big deal.
[18:10:09]
We would open our garage door and every everybody on our block would open their garage doors because it was so hot and we would all go to people's houses, drinking beer and having fun.
BROWN: Right. Everyone is having fun no matter what.
COOPER: People were drinking --
LYNCH: Yes, well, a couple of years after that. Yes. We started early in Dalton.
COOPER: What do we expect tonight here?
LYNCH: Well, as you can see, people are filling up right now. We have an amazing show. Lainey Wilson is here. Megan Hilty, Chance the Rapper, Trombone Shorty -- just amazing. And of course, then The Boston Pops, Keith Lockhart and The Boston Pops.
COOPER: And we are going to bring it for our viewers, we are going to bring all of that to you.
LYNCH: Yes.
COOPER: And I am so excited because it is just -- it is such a unique -- I was kind of expecting I hadn't been to this event before. I would always watch it on television. I kind of expected it to be --
LYNCH: Sprawling.
COOPER: Impersonal and sprawling. It is very intimate.
LYNCH: Yes, yes. COOPER: I mean, it is 15,000 people right here and hundreds of thousands all around us, but it is very intimate, right in front of the stage.
LYNCH: Yes, it is.
BROWN: What are you most looking forward to hosting tonight?
LYNCH: I love watching the live performances. It is just amazing. And then of course, we are going to have an amazing fireworks spectacular and 1,300 drones in the sky. So it is going to be amazing.
BROWN: Wow.
COOPER: And do you -- where do you go from here?
LYNCH: Where do I -- go back to Santa Barbara, where I live.
COOPER: Yes.
LYNCH: And spend the summer there.
COOPER: What are your thoughts on the 250th?
LYNCH: Well, you know, I remember your --
COOPER: Yes, I was at the bicentennial when I was nine.
LYNCH: In 1976, yes, I was 16 and I remember that really well and I remember feeling -- you know, filled with pride, but there is something about this one.
COOPER: Yes!
LYNCH: Because, you know, we've been so divided as a country and to come together for this is just an amazing thing. And I hope that, you know, it reverberates throughout our history how we came together and we protected our democracy and kept it alive for, you know, another -- at least another generation.
BROWN: Right. I think its inspirational and you think about back then how the framers had to come together to agree on the Declaration of Independence.
LYNCH: Yes.
BROWN: Imagine that! Then the Constitution and many of the framers didn't even think that we would make it this far.
LYNCH: Right.
BROWN: A hundred fifty years on.
LYNCH: Well, that's the compromise. You know, I think it was Ben Franklin who said, it is not perfect, but it is what we've got.
BROWN: Yes.
LYNCH: You know, what you've got here is not perfect, but we all agree.
BROWN: We are going to celebrate it tonight.
LYNCH: We are going to celebrate.
BROWN: We are going to have festivities here. Can't wait.
LYNCH: Yes.
BROWN: Great to see you. Happy Fourth!
LYNCH: Thanks.
COOPER: The party is just getting started. Soon, we will experience New York City's fireworks display. Their spectacular 85,000 shells launched from both the East River and the Hudson River.
BROWN: And we've got more in store for you, performances from some of music's biggest stars. Indie pop sensation, AJR; Grammy award winning country music artist, Lainey Wilson, singer and songwriter, Charlie Puth, and so many more. Don't go anywhere.
NICK OFFERMAN, COMEDIAN: One of my favorite moments in U.S. history would be me, last year, putting some grass fed rib-eyes on the grill and preparing them for my loved ones. The Fourth of July is an annual reminder that we, in this country are free to cook rotationally grazed beef.
Happy Birthday, America! Happy Birthday, America!
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:17:35]
COOPER: A live look over Music City, where crowds are already filling the streets ahead of tonight's show, featuring the largest fireworks ever launched in Nashville and that is saying a lot.
Of course, we will bring it to you right here during CNN's Celebration of America at 250. It is going to be a really fun evening. I hope you stay with us.
I want to head west to California, at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. That is where we find CNN's Nick Watt.
Nick, this is one of the official sites of what is being called America's Block Party. What is going on there tonight?
NICK WATT, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Anderson, for $17.76, you get a ticket and you can basically eat your body weight in hot dogs before going into the Coliseum to watch the show, which will kick off 6:30 our time, 9:30 Eastern hosted by Queen Latifah. We've got Chaka Khan, we've got Chris Stapleton, we've got The Smashing Pumpkins. Here, this is the highlight for me, though, right now, the hot dog situation, the hot dog situation and they will write anything you want on that hot dog. Your name. You get three hot dogs.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You heard it!
WATT: Yes! Three hot dogs. You've got to eat them in under a minute, though. Okay, America. Okay, so concert, fireworks, flyover, all of it happening here in the state of California. That wasn't even a twinkle in America's eye back in 1776. Perfect weather, 70 or 80 degrees. We are going to have a great evening, and inside, my favorite stadium in the entire country.
Hundred-plus years old, Olympics. It is going to be a great, great show -- Anderson.
COOPER: Nick, did you drive? Did you drive that giant wiener behind you?
WATT: I mean, how great is that? I would love to drive that. I mean, we've got everything. You know, I wish --
BROWN: What a ride!
WATT: I did drive a pickup truck, though. I do own a pickup truck. That is why, despite this strange accent, I am American through and through. So that's what we are dealing with today. Lots of hot dogs, Anderson, I am glad you pointed that out.
BROWN: Not quite as good as the wiener, but we will take it!
I was hoping you would do like the hot dog eating contest.
COOPER: Yes.
BROWN: Maybe, we will come back to you later and you can show us your skills on that front.
WATT: Okay. I am game!
BROWN: All right. Thanks, Nick.
It is time for our first stellar musical performance of the evening. Very exciting. We are sending it over to the Bottle Rock Festival in Napa Valley, California, where multi-platinum, award winning alternative band, AJR is wowing the crowds from the Prudential Stage.
(PERFORMANCE BY AJR)
[18:26:13]
COOPER: That was AJR from the Bottle Rock Festival in Napa Valley, California. Catch them on their Somewhere in the Sky Tour this summer across the U.S.
We are back in Boston with Pamela Brown. I should let you know, we have just been notified that because of incoming weather, they are actually now asking people to leave this area. So, the crowd of some 15,000 people here who have been gathering to hear The Boston Pops, it is now being delayed. They are being asked to move elsewhere.
There are hundreds of thousands of people in Boston along the Charles River for the fireworks and everything tonight, so we are waiting for more word on what the situation is along the river. But for right now, they are asking the crowds here, and the crowds are complying, slowly getting up. A lot of them have been here all day. So, it is obviously very disappointing.
Some folks are leaving, you know, their blankets and stuff out on the grass and hope to return as soon as possible.
We are joined right now by John Berman and his son, Teddy, who have reached the last stop of the incredible scavenger hunt around Revolutionary Boston. You've been watching CNN today. You have seen that they have been all over the city.
John Berman's Red, White and Clue.
JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: It has been really fun.
We did it!
COOPER: You stepped on your animation there.
BERMAN: I know.
COOPER: You stepped the animation. That cost a lot!
BROWN: Yes, you've got to go back and do it all over again now.
COOPER: All right, so how was it?
BERMAN: It was really fun. The last clue was, was go to a stage that they're going to evacuate the people behind you.
BROWN: There you go!
BERMAN: And so I came here to find you guys.
It was a blast. I mean, we've been going all over Boston all day long.
COOPER: Teddy, how did you get roped into this?
TEDDY BERMAN, JOHN BERMAN'S SON: I haven't seen my parents in a month- and-a-half. I am working this summer. I am living with my grandparents in Vermont.
COOPER: Okay.
BROWN: Whatever it takes.
COOPER: You just finished your freshman year.
T. BERMAN: I did.
COOPER: At college.
T. BERMAN: I did. It was -- it was awesome. It is great to be back home with the parents.
COOPER: What is it like being in Boston and going on this epic hunt with your dad?
T. BERMAN: It is really nice. It is really cool to see the city this way. And I am not complaining to get dragged around with this one. I is awesome!
COOPER: Let me just ask, because I only -- I have a four and a six- year-old.
T. BERMAN: Yes.
COOPER: So I am curious, are you in the stage where you think he is horribly uncool and you can't -- and you're so embarrassed to be dragged around the city by him? Or have you reverted back to, hopefully the stage you will be at the rest of your life where you realize his wisdom and his coolness and what he has sacrificed for you and you want to be around him.
BERMAN: I feel like you're working through a lot right there.
BROWN: Yes.
BERMAN: Projecting ahead, a little bit.
BROWN: Major!
T. BERMAN: I've definitely reverted back for the most part. I appreciate most of the things he does.
COOPER: Okay.
T. BERMAN: There are times -- there are times and there will always be times where I am slightly embarrassed, but that comes with the job of being a dad.
COOPER: Okay, fair enough. Fair enough.
BROWN: The fact that you wanted to go on a scavenger hunt with him is very telling. I mean, that is --
COOPER: Maybe wanted is too strong a word.
BROWN: Okay, I may be projecting there.
BERMAN: Well, one is doing a lot of work.
BROWN: Okay. One is doing a lot of work there. But we are just going to all be positive here. Bring us -- bring us along when you were doing the scavenger hunt, did anything sort of trick you or make you think, I thought I knew everything here, but maybe I don't.
BERMAN: So there were a couple of stops.
BROWN: You're from here.
BERMAN: Yes, I grew up -- I grew up in Concord, near Concord, Massachusetts, where there was the Battle of the Old North Bridge and whatnot. Doris Kearns Goodwin, I just saw walking up from Concord, Massachusetts.
So there were things I didn't know. One of the trees -- clues -- was the Liberty Tree in Boston, which I didn't really know what the Liberty Tree was and by the way, there is no tree there, now it is just a plaque on the side of the building.
BROWN: That's sad.
BERMAN: Also the --
BROWN: What happened to the tree?
BERMAN: They cut it down in 1776.
COOPER: I think we have a video of you ringing the bell in the Old North Church.
BERMAN: So the Old North Church is where they hung the lanterns, one if by land, two if by sea. Maybe!
COOPER: Wow! That's cool!
BERMAN: The bells themselves are actually from 1740. I mean, those bells have seen a lot of history and I was trained --
COOPER: And are you supposed to be ringing them?
BERMAN: Yes, because I was trained by an employee of the Old North Church who was very concerned that I was not going to do it correctly.
[18:30:20]
COOPER: Yes.
BERMAN: ... that I was not going to do it correctly.
BROWN: But you did it. Heavy? What was it like when you were ...
BERMAN: Very heavy.
BROWN: Right.
BERMAN: I had to -- I mean, obviously very heavy.
BROWN: (INAUDIBLE) ...
BERMAN: (INAUDIBLE), no, it wasn't that bad, it wasn't that bad. COOPER: Did you learn new things?
BERMAN: I absolutely did. I mean, I did -- Liberty Tree, which was the first site that I really had to find, absolutely. I didn't know what it was all about, but there were tars (ph) and featherings there. There were people who were hanged from that tree.
COOPER: Yes, it was very violent. Yes, yes, yes.
BERMAN: Yes, not good.
COOPER: I saw -- I saw that -- that when you were there, that was interesting.
BERMAN: My -- the guy who I had with me the whole time was the chief historian of the Massachusetts Historical Society, Kanisorn Wongsrichanalai, who taught me so much over the course of the day. And the Massachusetts Historical Society itself is incredible.
COOPER: I love historical societies.
BROWN: Yes.
BERMAN: I mean, he showed me things you couldn't believe.
COOPER: (INAUDIBLE) ...
BERMAN: I -- I held a sword that was King George's.
COOPER: I saw that. I saw that.
BROWN: Wow, that's pretty cool.
BERMAN: A King George's sword, which is not bad, right?
BROWN: Teddy, you've got a lot to go back to college in -- you know, in the fall (INAUDIBLE) ...
TEDDY: I -- I -- I have some stories. I have some stories, especially from this past ...
BROWN: And a lot of new knowledge, too.
TEDDY: ... from -- yes.
COOPER: Teddy, John, thank you, guys.
BROWN: Thanks.
TEDDY: Thank you so much.
COOPER: Thank you so much. Our nation's capital is pulling out all the stops tonight. Hundreds of thousands of fireworks set to illuminate some of America's most iconic monuments and memorials. There's a lot ahead. We'll be right back. WILLIAM SHATNER: My family had bought fireworks. My family lights up
this thing that's going around, and I (INAUDIBLE), said, wow, isn't that great? And I put my hand on it to grasp it. It burned my hand. My mother grabs it, rushes me into the house, and she had heard that tea is really good for burns. So, she immediately boiled up a pot of tea and poured the boiling water on my burnt hand. That's my greatest memory of the birthday of America.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:36:32]
COOPER: Stunning view of the West Coast. That's San Diego, California. Where we're going to bring you a front row seat to tonight's Big Bay Boom celebration. That's what they're calling it. Their program tonight benefits programs for military families. A very noble cause. We'll bring you that back here in Boston.
It is only fitting that we celebrate 250 years of America with one of the most legendary historians out there. My friend, Doris Kearns Goodwin. She's an executive producer of a new History Channel special. "George Washington: Father of His Country." Doris, it's great to have you here.
DORIS KEARNS GOODWIN, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, "GEORGE WASHINGTON: FATHER OF HIS COUNTRY": I'm glad to be here with you, guys.
COOPER: Two-hundred and fiftieth, did the founders know we would reach 250?
GOODWIN: I'd like to believe some of them believed it. But I can't imagine most of them did. Yes, they might have. Let's -- why should I say that? Of course, they had faith in us.
BROWN: They had faith.
COOPER: But -- but we know something that they did not, which is -- if they didn't know we would do it, we know that we did it. What -- what are your thoughts on 250 and what lies ahead?
GOODWIN: Yes. I think that's the most important thing which you just said. We know that we've lived through dark times before. I've lived through many of them. Not only being 83 years old, some of them. But I've studied dark times my whole history life. I was drawn to them somehow. Because I knew that we emerged with great restraint. So, I wanted to go through that with them. So, we lived through the Civil War, which they could hardly have imagined. Although they thought about this country dividing.
We lived through the Great Depression. We lived through the class war at the turn of the 20th century. We lived through World War II when Western civilization and the entire liberal democracy would have been undone. You know, so scared was Franklin Roosevelt when he took the -- when he took the inauguration vow to take it. Somebody said to him, you know, if your program works, you're going to be one of the great presidents in history. If it fails, you'll be one of the worst. No, he said, I'll be the last American president.
COOPER: Yes.
GOODWIN: And the thing is, the people living then, they didn't know that they were going to get through this. They lived with the same anxiety we live with today. And so, that's why I think history is so important. At this time when it's being diminished, it's the one thing that can give us perspective.
COOPER: It gives you courage.
GOODWIN: It gives us hope. It absolutely does. Because we -- we know that our -- our ancestors got through these times. There was some fiber in those leaders and in those citizens. We've got to believe we have it in ourselves, too. I really think that's important.
BROWN: I think that is so important as so many of us are feeling anxiety right now. But you have to think back to 250-plus years ago here in Boston where we are right now and the significance of -- of where we are. It's really the heart of the American Revolution. And what really kept them going was -- was the cause. They didn't know what the future held, but they knew they had this cause.
GOODWIN: You know, the really interesting thing about Boston is that it really was the center of the resistance, mainly because there were so many clashes between the British Parliament and the colonists. I mean, starting with the Stamp Act, the first time a duty is placed on paper goods, on legal documents, on licenses. And they're outraged, not simply because of the tax, but because it's taxing them with no representation, so they start organizing.
They have petitions. They go after the British guy who's going to be dealing with these duties, and they hang him in effigy and carry him all around the country and all around the city. And then, they -- they then go after his house and they destroy it. And finally, the British don't want this anymore, so they repeal the tax, so it worked.
And then, they come for a whole bunch of new taxes, the Townshend Acts, and they put them on paint and lead and they put them on tea. And then again the colonists, they boycott, they petition, they do all the things you would do if you were in a democracy, but they're not in one yet, but they're acting like one. And again, they repeal it, but they leave the tax on tea, because they figure they have to have some representation that they still have power. And that, of course, leads to the Great Tea Party, when the Sons of Liberty come in as Mohawk Indians and they throw 300 chests into the water.
[18:40:05]
And then the Parliament really strikes back. They -- they -- they start going what they call the Intolerable Act, and they close the Port of Boston, so they think they can really isolate Boston from the rest of the country, that somehow we're too much rabble-rousers. It backfires, because then the rest of the colonists come forth with support, with food and supplies and sheep and cattle. And then, the resistance becomes something deeper. It starts, no taxation, without representation, but then it becomes maybe separation from England, and then finally it becomes against monarchy itself, that you want to have a country where power comes from the bottom up. It's a great story. It's a great story.
COOPER: I keep thinking back to the 200th celebration. I was nine years old for it. It was the tall ships in New York, Operation Sail. And New York had -- had official -- fiscal crisis. Crime was high. The country was divided. The Vietnam War, the memory of it was still fresh. The Cold War was still very hot. And people were very divided and felt like they were very uncertain. And they felt like we were at the end of our story (INAUDIBLE) and people, I think, feel that way today.
To your point about history giving courage, it gives me solace to know that many generations have thought they were at the end of the American story, and they weren't.
GOODWIN: You know, in fact, what they used to say in the Great Depression was that we're at the end of our country right then. That's the words that they used. And the thing that we can take hope in, I think, is not simply the leaders. We had the right leaders at the right time. It was the citizens who acted.
One of the moments when Lincoln was called a liberator, he said, don't call me that. It was the anti-slavery movement and the Union soldiers that did it all. When Teddy Roosevelt comes in and is able to soften that class warfare and deal with the Industrial Revolution, he already had before him in the cities the settlement houses that had been formed and the social gospel and religion. The Union movement was there for FDR. And, of course, the civil rights movement was there for Lyndon Johnson. The Civil Rights Act, the voting rights would never have happened without the freedom marchers and the people in the streets and the -- and the freedom riders.
And then, you get the women's movement. You get the gay rights movement. So, it's up to us, the citizens. That's what history has to tell us. We can't be -- we have to be like those colonists now. We have to do what we need to do and be active citizens to make sure that we're getting the right things happening in our country.
BROWN: And what gives you hope that this great American experiment will continue to move forward and hopefully thrive?
GOODWIN: I guess it really is the thing that I've loved my whole life. History gives me hope. I mean, that's why it's so important that young people can look back and see what our ancestors did, see the -- what they endured. And they not only endured, but they emerged. They had resilience. They had courage.
You were talking about courage before. They had a boldness to them. And we have it within our fiber, too. We're not a different people right now. So, it gives me hope that it will keep going and renewing ourselves because we remember where we came from. That's why this 250th anniversary is so important, not just to remember the ideals they set forth, but the fact that we've never reached up to those ideals. It's an unfinished story. Every generation has its own responsibility. And that younger generation now has got to feel we've got to help. And we older people have to help them.
BROWN: Always striving for a more perfect union, right?
COOPER: Yes.
GOODWIN: Exactly so.
COOPER: Doris Kearns Goodwin, I love you. You are the best. I'm so glad you're here. Thank you so much.
GOODWIN: Me, too. Me, too.
COOPER: I really appreciate it.
BROWN: Yes. It's so special to be here with you on this anniversary, too. Wow.
GOODWIN: Thank you.
BROWN: Thank you so much.
And up next, we're heading down to the nation's capital where they are hoping to break records tonight with more than 800,000 fireworks. That is surely going to be a stunning show.
COOPER: Plus, we're going to take a trip down to the Big Easy, to New Orleans, Louisiana, where fireworks will soar 150 feet above the Mississippi River. And the fun does not stop there. We've got performances from country music star Kane Brown, recording legends Josh Groban, Jennifer Hudson, and a lot, lot more.
MIKAELA SHIFFRIN, OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST, ALPINE SKIING CHAMPION: I'm particularly inspired by the fight for women's voting rights. Decades of courage and persistence to be heard and included. It reminds me that progress takes time. And it's worth it.
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[18:48:09]
SANCHEZ: What an incredible view from our cameras, sky high above New York City. The Empire State Building will be lit up later tonight by a special guest live right here on CNN as we honor The Fourth in America, Celebrating 250. And we're looking at Nashville right now.
I should let you know, alongside my colleague, Dana Bash, that we are in the nation's capital and that in 15 minutes the show is set to be underway right here. But we're looking all across the country during tonight's CNN special coverage.
Let's actually go to Nashville right now where their record-breaking show requires 40,000 pounds of explosives, 200 miles of wire.
BASH: CNN's Andy Scholes is live in the heart of Music City.
Andy, you're definitely dressing the part. We can't see right now, but we can tell our viewers there's a very big -- there you go.
SANCHEZ: There it is.
BASH: A mechanical bull. Is that going to be ridden?
ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Well, let's see, Dana and Boris. You know, I tell you what, there's not many more places better than Nashville to celebrate the Fourth of July. I can tell you what, you know, you talked about the big Fourth of July fireworks show that's going to happen in a little while. Well, until then, everyone here is partying on Broadway.
And we're at JBJ's, Jon Bon Jovi's place. This place is incredible. Five floors, 38,000 square feet of just fun. There's a tattoo parlor on the floor. Right now, we're on the second floor. That's where you find the mechanical bull. I'm joined right now by one of the owners of the place, Josh Joseph (ph).
Josh, thanks for having us here.
JOSH JOSEPH, CO-OWNER, JBJ'S NASHVILLE: Absolutely, Andy.
SCHOLES: If -- if an American wanted to put this bad boy in their living room, how much would it cost?
JOSEPH: Fifty-thousand dollars.
SCHOLES: Fifty-thousand dollars. And I understand it costs $10 a ride. How quickly did this thing pay for itself?
JOSEPH: Here in Nashville, we were done in about three weeks.
SCHOLES: Three weeks?
JOSEPH: Yes, thought about three weeks.
SCHOLES: Three weeks, so this is a ...
JOSEPH: Pretty quick. Pretty quick.
SCHOLES: This is quite the profitable endeavor right here.
JOSEPH: Pretty quick.
SCHOLES: So, you know, I grew up in Houston. I went to the Houston Rodeo my entire life, but I've never gotten on a mechanical bull. I'm going to give it a go. How do you think I'm going to do?
JOSEPH: You're going to do good. You'll do great.
[18:50:00]
SCHOLES: All right.
JOSEPH: You've got the cowboy hat and all, man.
SCHOLES: Let's see.
JOSEPH: Yes.
SCHOLES: Let's -- Boris, Dana, let's see how this goes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Go, Andy.
SCHOLES: Oh, yes. All right. Let's do it. Here we go. I'm ready.
Okay. Oh, God. Oh, God.
SANCHEZ: Gentle start.
BASH: Uh-huh.
SCHOLES: You know what? I think I can join the rodeo.
SANCHEZ: There you go.
BASH: Uh-oh. He's getting a little ...
SANCHEZ: Here we go.
BASH: Big for his britches. There he goes.
SANCHEZ: There he goes.
SCHOLES: I grew up in Houston, guys. I know what I'm doing here.
SANCHEZ: Turn up the heat.
SCHOLES: Oh, boy.
BASH: It's going easing on you. Oh, there -- oh, there we go.
(CROSSTALK)
SCHOLES: Though (INAUDIBLE) I'm good with that ride.
SANCHEZ: How's your back, Andy? You all right?
SCHOLES: Yes, yes, yes. I felt that was a great fall. Great fall. (INAUDIBLE) ...
BASH: Very graceful. It was very graceful.
SANCHEZ: Yes.
BASH: I have to tell you, Andy, you stayed on that mechanical bull a lot longer than I would have. That was very impressive.
SANCHEZ: Same.
SCHOLES: It's great.
SANCHEZ: Same. Excellent work, Andy Scholes, we appreciate you, live in Nashville. Thank you so much for that.
One of the biggest firework shows of the night is going to illuminate New York City over both the East River and the Hudson. It is going to be a beautiful sight, and I cannot wait to watch it alongside you.
BASH: You know what I can't wait, Boris? The Goo Goo Dolls, because they're going to take us closest to heaven and the closest we'll ever be with their performance. We've got the one New Orleans favorite, Trombone Shorty, also coming up. So much more ahead only here on CNN. Don't go anywhere.
JEFF HILLER, ACTOR, COMEDIAN & AUTHOR: When I was about seven years old, we were celebrating the Fourth of July with a family cookout in Elgin, Texas, and I found myself in a hive of fire ants. So, my mom gave me Benadryl, and it knocked me out for seven hours. But when I woke up, it was to the loud sounds and glorious sights of the fireworks. I mean, I didn't know what was going on, how I got there. I didn't know who I was, but I knew where I was in America, the land of the free and the home of the pretty strong over-the-counter medications.
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[18:56:29]
BROWN: Oh, my God.
BASH: This is Dana Bash with Boris Sanchez in Washington, and you could see why.
SANCHEZ: Yes.
BASH: Because it looks like it's monsooning in Boston, so we'll wait for that to -- to make its way out. But you know what? Washington is going to be one of the most spectacular 4th -- 4th of July -- 4th of July ...
SANCHEZ: Yes.
BASH: ... that we've ever seen. You can see people are already gathering here. Boris and I were just noticing that some of the President's top advisors are already getting here. And if you can hear what we're hearing, which we've heard pretty much all night, the flyovers. Right now, at least according to the schedule, it's the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds.
SANCHEZ: We've been watching them fly over this event where thousands are gathered, making all kinds of formations and pirouettes and also at times making us flinch because it's so loud and powerful. There was an F-35 above us just a short time ago, and I've never heard a sound -- I've never heard a sound like that before.
BASH: It's pretty amazing.
SANCHEZ: Though I should say that I may be speaking prematurely because we're anticipating a potentially record shattering fireworks display tonight in the nation's capital, 850,000 fireworks, 40 minutes of fireworks spread out across the nation's capital. It is going to be an unbelievable show as we await the musicians and later on a speech by President Trump.
BASH: And Derek Van Dam has been on the Mall looking at -- you changed, Derek.
SANCHEZ: Just rushing all the outfit.
BASH: But I -- I -- I love the outfit there.
DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I changed.
BASH: What's -- what's happening right now?
VAN DAM: Got to keep it fresh.
BASH: I love it.
VAN DAM: Oh, man.
BASH: I love a costume change.
VAN DAM: The -- the excitement is building here. Can you hear that?
BASH: Yes.
VAN DAM: We've got fighter jets flying overhead in formation. We saw B-1, B-2. Look at that incredible display. People are hooting, hollering, clapping. This has been a magnificent air show that everybody can get behind here on the National Mall. And there's just so much to get excited about that is coming up here in the next couple of hours as we split the difference between the Thunderstorms to our north and to our south.
The largest fireworks display ever recorded. Potentially a Guinness Book World Record set tonight, as long as the weather doesn't hamper it down. Who's excited about the fireworks?
Yes. Let's go. Fourth of July, America 250. This is where you want to be, folks. I'm telling you, it is electric. Not just the lightning, but the atmosphere around here. People are having an absolute blast. Now that the sun is behind the clouds, there's a comfortable breeze, and it feels good outside. I hear some announcements in the background. The event, this is coming in real time right now.
Boris and Dana, this is hard to hear over the sound of the -- over the -- over the sound of the -- the -- the airplanes, but the PA announcement is saying that there's some sort of a delay here. I would imagine it has to do with -- I mean, if we looked at a radar right now, I'm looking at storms to our west. They have lightning.
[19:00:05]
I don't know what the exact lightning protocol is, but of course we can't have lightning bolts anywhere around this area.
