Pittsburgh’s Fourth of July traditions are rooted in centuries of American history, and Fort Pitt Museum sits at the heart of that story.

Located in Point State Park at the confluence of the city’s three rivers, the museum traces western Pennsylvania’s pivotal role in the French and Indian War, the American Revolution and the early expansion of the United States.

An exhibit you don’t want to miss

Inside, the “Pittsburgh’s Revolution” exhibit spotlights how this frontier outpost helped shape the Revolutionary War and the push for independence. Rare artifacts, detailed maps and personal stories walk visitors through a time when control of Fort Pitt meant control of the West, giving colonists a crucial foothold in the struggle against British rule. The exhibit also emphasizes the diverse communities at the Point, including soldiers, Indigenous nations, traders and settlers, whose lives intersected in ways that still echo in Pittsburgh’s identity today.

For modern visitors, the museum offers an immersive experience that connects familiar July 4 images with the realities of life on the 18th‑century frontier. Families can explore galleries that explain how supplies moved through Pittsburgh to support the Continental Army, how diplomacy unfolded with Native nations, and how everyday people navigated a world in conflict. It turns Independence Day from a single date on the calendar into an ongoing story that started along these rivers and radiated outward.

As America marks the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, Fort Pitt’s “Fourth at the Fort” programming brings that history into the present with flag ceremonies, living history encampments and hands‑on activities in Point State Park.

More: Allegheny General’s $19M heart lab overhaul boosts patient care

More: Feeling the heat? Pittsburgh electric bills are spiking this summer

For Pittsburghers looking to go beyond fireworks, a visit to Fort Pitt Museum offers a reminder that Independence Day here is not only about celebration, but about standing on the ground where American history was made.

This article by Gabby Sartori was created with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more.

Immigrant advocates in Connecticut are calling on state leaders to prepare for the possible loss of legal protections for thousands of people after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Trump administration can move forward with ending Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, for Haitians and Syrians.

TPS is a federal program that allows people from countries facing war, natural disasters or other extraordinary conditions to live and work legally in the United States. The Trump administration has argued that conditions in some countries have improved enough that the protections are no longer necessary.

For organizations that work with immigrants, however, the ruling has triggered fear and uncertainty.

“The Haitian community, in particular, is reeling,” said Maggie Mitchell-Salem, executive director of Integrated Refugee and Immigrant Services, commonly known as IRIS.

Mitchell-Salem said the number of Syrians affected by the decision is much smaller than the number of Haitians nationwide, but she argued that the impact goes beyond statistics. Her organization has led resettlement efforts for Syrian refugees in Connecticut since the federal government offered TPS status amid the Syrian civil war in 2012.

“Numbers don’t matter,” she said. “A single person being impacted by inhumane racist immigration policies is a person who’s impacted, and we should care.”

A community preparing for uncertainty

Mitchell-Salem said immigrant advocacy groups and local officials are already discussing how to help families who could face difficult decisions if the Trump administration decides to end TPS protections.

Among the biggest concerns are families that could be separated if parents lose their legal status or face deportation.

“We’re working with municipalities, with any community leaders that we can, who are coming up with plans on what to do to help individuals here,” she said.

She urged families whose immigration status may be at risk to create preparedness plans and designate trusted relatives or friends who could care for children if necessary.

“The state of Connecticut has one on their website,” she said. “We urge everyone who has a family situation that is no longer stable to fill that out.”

Looking to Massachusetts as a model

Mitchell-Salem said Connecticut should consider following the example set by Massachusetts leaders, who responded to the Supreme Court ruling by holding a press conference, reassuring TPS holders of their rights, announcing legal clinics and creating an emergency response fund.

“What I think is beautiful about what Massachusetts did is that it signaled you are valued, you are part of our community, and we care about you,” she said. “For that, I would love to see Connecticut do something similar.”

At the same time, she cautioned that there are limits to what states can do if federal protections ultimately end.

“I think the state of Connecticut is right to really think about what remedies are truly possible,” Mitchell-Salem said.

Warning against scams

Mitchell-Salem said one of her organization’s biggest concerns is that desperate immigrants could become targets for fraud.

“What we’re most concerned about is that because people will be so desperate that there are those that will take advantage of them,” she said.

IRIS has been posting information in English, Haitian Creole and Arabic warning immigrants that there are “no magic solutions” and encouraging them to seek advice only from trusted legal organizations and immigration attorneys.

A call to action

Mitchell-Salem said the Supreme Court’s decision should prompt action not only from government officials but also from the public.

“Flood congressional phone banks, call Congress every single day, tell them what you think,” she said. “Get your friends in states that are less blue than Connecticut to do the same.”

She said public pressure has altered the course of other administration policies and could again influence federal immigration decisions.

“This isn’t an issue that’s just a blip that’s going to go away,” Mitchell-Salem said.

After a string of recent deaths and temperatures rising this week, officials are encouraging people in Maine to keep safety in mind when enjoying the water.

“Once it’s warm enough in Maine to access natural water sources, we might make decisions that we wouldn’t otherwise, and people are often not as competent swimmers as they think,” said Brooke Teller, founder and executive director of Maine Community Swimming, citing an American Red Cross report.

According to the Red Cross, 80% of adults say they can swim, but less than half can perform the five water competency skills required to save their own lives.

Popham Beach Lifeguard Supervisor Sean Vaillancourt agreed, urging people to have emergency plans in place and know their physical limits.

“Be prepared. Never swim alone. Notice your location and how you’re feeling at all times,” Vaillancourt said, as he prepares for the Fourth of July long weekend.

In June, the Maine Warden Service recovered the body of a Rockland man from Chickawaukie Lake; a 4-year-old from Boston died after a drowning incident in a hotel pool, according to Kennebunk Fire Rescue; and a Westbrook woman went missing while looking for golf balls in a pond.

Here are tips from Teller, Vaillancourt and other experts on how to stay safe in and around the water.

SAFETY AT THE BEACH AND POOLS

Advertisement