U.S. Census Bureau Daily Feature for October 20 -- WASHINGTON, Oct. 20, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- WASHINGTON, Oct. 20, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Following is the daily "Profile America" feature from the U.S. Census Bureau: Profile America - Sunday, October 20th, Americans today would certainly protest if the government suppressed recreational pastimes as a statement of national purpose. But as tensions between Great Britain and the American colonies mounted ahead of the revolution, that's exactly what the Continental Congress attempted on this date in 1774. In addition to imposing an economic boycott, the congress issued an order to the colonies seeking to "discourage all horse racing and all kinds of gaming, cock fighting, exhibitions of shows, plays and other expensive diversions and entertainments." Today, we spend a lot on entertainment. Over 6.5 million people go to horse races each year, nearly 73 million attend live music concerts, and we buy about $53 billion of lottery tickets annually. Sources: http://www.answers.com/topic/the‑continental‑association‑1774 http://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/contcong_10-20-74.asp http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/cats/state_local_govt_finances_employment.html t.449 http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/cats/arts_recreation_travel.html t.1240