Although hot dogs have become de rigueur on July 4th in America, they trace their origins to centuries-old European sausage traditions, especially in Germany and Eastern Europe. There, they were referred to as frankfurters or wieners, and were brought to America with German immigrants in the 1800s.
Unlike modern all-beef sausages, these early sausages frequently combined pork and beef. It was Jewish-American butchers who made this food into an American staple by inventing all-beef sausages that were Kosher-friendly.
Their uncomplicated design made them perfect for the busy lifestyle of urban America. In urban centers such as New York, hot dogs were being sold to busy workers on the street by vendors. They were affordable, making them sought after by working-class individuals, particularly in industrial cities, setting the stage for national popularity.
Coney Island: The Launchpad of the Hot Dog
The modern era in hot dog history arrived in 1867 when Charles Feltman, a Brooklyn baker, started selling his sausages in custom-made long rolls out of a transformed pie cart at Coney Island.
The hand-sliced buns were convenient for eating on the go, and the idea caught on quickly. Coney Island historian Michael Quinn estimated that Feltman sold about 4,000 sausages in his first summer.
Appreciating its success, Feltman diversified his business. In 1873, he founded a large resort and restaurant complex known as the Ocean Pavilion. The construction of a train line by Andrew Culver, the president of the Prospect Park Railroad, attracted thousands of patrons to Coney Island, making the region a large recreational center.
By the 1920s, Feltman’s restaurant reportedly hosted five million visitors a year and sold 40,000 hot dogs a day. His operation laid the ground work for the hot dog’s popularity, but another businessman would catapult it to legend status.
Nathan’s Famous and the July 4th Legacy
In 1916, Polish-Jewish immigrant Nathan Handwerker quit working for Feltman’s and established a small hot dog stand in the vicinity. Handwerker, who had been in the U.S. only four years before coming through Ellis Island, chose to compete with his previous employer by selling hot dogs for as little as five cents each.
This price cut provided him with a competitive advantage. “The sidewalk out here was lined with people shoving to the counters,” Lloyd Handwerker, Nathan’s grandson, explained in a 2021 CBS News interview.
His affordability and accessibility approach resonated with New Yorkers, particularly during difficult economic times. Nathan’s stand eventually became Nathan’s Famous, a brand name in American food culture.
Aside from its snack, the company came to be associated with the Fourth of July due to its annual Hot Dog Eating Contest, which was started in 1972. The competition attracts international contestants and is now a July 4th tradition. ESPN inked a deal in 2022 to broadcast the competition through 2029, which speaks to its popularity.
Why Hot Dogs Rule the Fourth of July
Similar to pumpkin spice during autumn or green beer on St. Patrick’s Day, hot dogs have become synonymous with Fourth of July parties. Quick to prepare, hot dogs can be customized with a variety of toppings and easily serve large crowds, making them perfect for summer parties.
Whether topped with mustard, ketchup, onions, relish, or sauerkraut, hot dogs suit every taste. Their plainness does not detract from, but instead blends with, the fireworks, games, and patriotic processions of the day.
The National Hot Dog and Sausage Council says Americans will devour 150 million hot dogs alone on Independence Day. That swells to more than 20 billion hot dogs annually — underscoring their cultural and culinary importance.
These figures aren’t mere marketing fluff. They reflect how deeply ingrained hot dogs are in American culture, particularly in summer barbecues and July 4 celebrations.
A Snack for Everyone
While most Americans now call them hot dogs, other designations such as “red hots” still hold in cities such as Detroit and Maine. The name “dog” perhaps began as a tongue-in-cheek reference to the mystery meat once contained in sausages.
What binds hot dogs regionally and historically is their affordability. From the sidewalks of New York to Midwestern ballparks and Southern barbecues, hot dogs are a consistent, affordable comfort food.
Contemporary variations, such as plant-based and veggie options, have further boosted their popularity — so that everybody can participate in the July 4th festivity.
While fireworks illuminate the heavens and flags flutter in the breeze, the aroma of grilled hot dogs on grills nationwide continues to be a hallmark of American summer tradition.