Americans marked the 250th anniversary of the nation's independence on Saturday with celebrations that reflected both patriotic pride and growing concerns about the country's political direction.
Thousands gathered on Washington's National Mall, where long queues formed outside monuments and museums as temperatures approached 38C (100F). National Guard troops, deployed across the capital by President Donald Trump, managed crowd control while distributing pallets of bottled water to help people cope with the intense heat.
Despite the conditions, the atmosphere remained festive. Chants of "USA! USA! USA!" echoed near the National Gallery as visitors celebrated the historic milestone.
Iowa state congressman Eddie Andrews rode through downtown Washington on the back of a farm tractor decorated in the colours of the US flag, greeting crowds with repeated cries of "God bless America!"
"Really this day, 250 years ago, really marked the new modern day of freedom, and it's why America leads the world in so many areas," he said.
Nearby, Donna Dasher and her husband, Albert, travelled from Richmond Hill, Georgia, to celebrate both the nation's anniversary and their own wedding anniversary. While posing for photographs outside the White House, Donna Dasher rejected suggestions that the event had become politically focused.
"I think it's just the greatest event in our nation's history," she said. "President Trump is trying to do everything he can to make it the greatest celebration, and some people say, 'Oh, it's about Trump. 'No, it's not."
The couple said they were also remembering military veterans, including members of their own family, during the celebrations.
As temperatures remained high throughout the afternoon, National Guard personnel continued distributing water. One soldier encouraged people to take as many bottles as they needed, prompting a light-hearted response from one attendee who jokingly asked whether they had any Stella instead.
Inside the security zone, visitors sought relief in air-conditioned state pavilions and water stations, while large exhibition tents hosted displays by companies including Micron and Mastercard. Others gathered in the shade beneath a model of the proposed Trump Arch as military aircraft flew overhead.
While the crowds represented people from across the United States, they also reflected the country's political divisions. Critics accused President Trump of using the anniversary to promote his political achievements, while clothing and accessories associated with his Make America Great Again movement were visible throughout the event.
Away from the capital, many Americans expressed more mixed emotions about the anniversary.
In Atlanta, Georgia, music therapist Melissa Pate said the occasion had prompted reflection rather than celebration.
"I guess in this current political climate, 250 years—it feels like we still have a long way to go," she said.
"To think that we're 250 years in and there are people in this country that are still not living in true freedom. It's kind of disappointing."
Even so, she and her husband planned to celebrate later in the evening with a traditional barbecue after the heat had eased. She added that recent Democratic victories in regional and local elections had given her "hope that the little people—the working class—maybe are being heard".
William-Jose Velez Gonzalez, a Washington resident originally from Puerto Rico, also expressed concern about the country's direction.
He said he felt "a certain sense of grief with the way that things are being handled, with the way that the country is being run", although he still planned to watch the Independence Day fireworks with friends.
In Dallas, Texas, lobbyist Patrick Marshall spent the day preparing a Fourth of July barbecue for more than 100 guests alongside his parents.
"I think this is still a very big, great experiment and everybody's still trying to figure out what that means to them," he said.
"But I think you can look back and be reflective of loving America and celebrating its beauty while also being fair and calling the balls and strikes that need to be called out about the country."
