Happy Monday, Boston. I say that without even the slightest tinge of cruelty because the upcoming workweek is only four days long thanks to our annual celebration of American independence on July 4th. To help rile your patriotic spirit – the one necessary for perfectly grilling that collection of meat in your freezer and amply emptying kegs of frothy American beer down your gullet – here are some fun facts to help you celebrate Independence Day.

Allow me to preface these goodies by quickly noting this is a by-the-numbers piece. I’ll be dropping some fun historical facts on you later this week as our teeming nationalistic notions begin to boil over. The following engaging items come courtesy of the United States Census Bureau. Enjoy.

56

There were 56 representatives at the Continental Congress from the 13 colonies who signed the Declaration of Independence. Benjamin Franklin was the oldest signer at 70-years of age while the youngest was Edward Rutledge, just 26-years old. Boston’s own John Hancock was the first to sign – with the largest, most prominent signature – giving birth to the term John Hancock being synonymous with one’s signature.

59

There are a total of 59 places in the U.S. containing the word “liberty” in the name. Many of these are the names for counties, cities and towns. Pennsylvania is the state with the most “liberties” with a total of 11. There’s just one place in the country with “patriot” in its name and that’s Patriot, Indiana. The notable Missouri city of Independence was once the home of President Harry Truman.

4 million

The value of American flag imports in 2013 was $4 million. That’s right, we import our own flags. According to the U.S. Census Bureau,  about $3.9 million worth of flag imports came from China. We earned about $781,222 in exporting American flags, most of which – about $160,000 worth – went to the Dominican Republic.

203.6 million

Similarly, the U.S. imported $203.6 million of its $213.8 million worth of fireworks from china. Uncle Sam exported about $10.2 million of fireworks in 2013, most of which went to our Middle Eastern ally Israel, who dropped $2.7 million on the aerial explosives.

62.9 million

It’s estimated that some 62.9 million hogs and pigs roam the American plains today. If you’re grilling up pork hot dogs and sausages, there’s a likely chance the oinker you’re eating hailed from Iowa. A solid 19.8 million of the supposed total number of hogs in the U.S. call Iowa home.

2.5 million & 314 million

The population of the United States of America at the time of its founding, July 1776, was estimated to be 2.5 million strong. Now, 238 years later, the population has swelled to a staggering 314 million. New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago all boast populations larger than the combined 18th century United States with roughly 8.4 million, 3.8 million and 2.7 million, respectively. Houston is not far behind with approximately 2.2 million.

6.1 billion

If you’re more of a beef kind of person on the Fourth of July, consider that there are approximately 6.1 billion pounds of cattle and calves in Texas alone. The Lone Start State is the largest producer of beef hot dogs, burgers and steaks in the nation, accounting for one-sixth of the country’s production in 2013 alone.

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