| United States Semiquincentennial | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Date | July 4, 2026; 4 months' time (July 4, 2026) |
| Location | United States |
| Previous event | Bicentennial (1976) |
| Next event | Tricentennial (2076) |
| Activity | 250th anniversary of theSecond Continental Congress adopting theDeclaration of Independence |
| President | Donald Trump |
| Organized by |
|
| Website | america250 |
TheUnited States Semiquincentennial,[a] also called theBisesquicentennial, theSestercentennial,America250 or theQuarter Millennium, will be the 250thanniversary of theUnited States Declaration of Independence. Festivities will mark various events leading up to the Declaration's anniversary on the 250thIndependence Day: July 4, 2026.
Official planning for the celebrations began in 2016 with the congressional, non-partisanUnited States Semiquincentennial Commission. In 2025, PresidentDonald Trump created theWhite House Task Force on Celebrating America's 250th Birthday to also promote and plan the events. An unofficial "soft launch" of celebrations began with theUnited States Army 250th Anniversary Parade on June 14, 2025 concurrent withnationwide protests.[1][6] America250 events formally began on the eve of July 4, 2025.[7][1]
TheSecond Continental Congress, meeting in Philadelphia, voted for the independence of theUnited Colonies by passing theLee Resolution on July 2, 1776.[8] TheDeclaration of Independence, mainly written byCommittee of Five memberThomas Jefferson, was proclaimed on July 4, the date on which theanniversary of independence is observed.[9]
There were no major government-sponsored 50th anniversary observances on July 4, 1826, which was the day that theFounding Fathers and former presidentsJohn Adams and Thomas Jefferson both died. In 1876, the United States organized nationwide centennial observances centered on theCentennial Exposition in Philadelphia.[10] In 1926, aSesquicentennial Exposition was held in Philadelphia, and in 1976,bicentennial observances were held throughout the country.[10]
Celebrations are organized by two main organizations at the federal level: the non-partisan congressionalAmerica250 Commission created in 2016 and backed by a nonprofit; and theWhite House Task Force on Celebrating America's 250th Birthday, chaired byDonald Trump and established via an executive order in 2025.[1]
The America 250 Civics Education Coalition will develop civics education programming to celebrate the semiquincentennial. The nonprofitAmerica First Policy Institute will lead the coalition of more than 40 conservative organizations, with oversight from theDepartment of Education.[11]
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The United States Semiquincentennial Commission Act of 2016 directs theUnited States Government to issuecommemorative coins andpostage stamps, and commission appropriately namednaval vessels, in advance of the semiquincentennial.[12] In addition, specific activities—both officially organized and independently created—are being planned. The legislation specifically directs the organization of events "in locations of historical significance to the United States" going on to list Boston, Philadelphia, New York City, and Charleston, South Carolina, as "leading cities".[13]
The Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act of 2020 allows theUnited States Mint to redesign any coins in 2026. It calls for a series of five designs for thequarter, including one depicting women's contributions to independence.[14] 2025 changes by thesecond Trump administration ignored recommendations by theCitizens Coinage Advisory Committee and removed coins celebrating abolition, women's suffrage and the civil rights movement as part of a campaign against "wokeness".[15]
Plans for the casting of a new public bell are being coordinated by theNational Bell Festival. The bell will honor 250 years of women's contributions to the American story,[vague] and will lead nationwide ringing tributes during the celebrations.[16]
In 2016, Revolution 250, a non-profit group organized to plan commemorative events in Boston surrounding the semiquincentennial, was established.[17] According to the organization, it is a consortium of 56 groups,[18] including theSociety of the Cincinnati, theNational Park Service, theBoston Tea Party Museum, theNew England Historic Genealogical Society, theSuffolk University history department, the Boston Downtown Business Improvement District,The Bostonian Society, and others.[19]
The incident known as thePowder Alarm of 1774 in the city now known asSomerville was commemorated by a reenactment in 2024, on a Sunday 250 years after the Sunday of the actual event.[20] The following day, activities in nearbyCambridge explored the consequences of this event.[21]
For the 250thEvacuation Day celebrations, commemorating the evacuation of British forces from the city of Boston following thesiege of Boston, early in theAmerican Revolutionary War, on March 17, 2026, the NPS will carry out a $25 million overhaul of theDorchester Heights Monument. The planned renovations, which will take approximately 18 months to complete, will include work on "taking apart and reassembling the top floors, placing granite slabs to mark where the 1776 fortifications sat, bringing the retaining walls, drainage and lighting up to date and giving the info panels a face lift."[22]
In honor ofGeorge Washington's troops' final leg of the trip to secretly haul cannons fromFort Hill to theFortification of Dorchester Heights, artist Michael Dowling seeks 100,000 Bostonians, a seventh of the city population, to write "a short story of belonging" on any piece of cloth, which will then be tied in a 4-mile (6.4 km) long rope, the same length as the covert journey.[22]
Part of the2026 FIFA World Cup will be held at theGillette Stadium in between June and July, co-hosting the championship with 15 other venues between Canada, the United States and Mexico, including the "leading cities" of Philadelphia and New York City, at theLincoln Financial Field andMetLife Stadium, respectively.[23]
In 2017, theDaughters of the American Revolution announced a grant of $380,000 to the city of Philadelphia to plant 76 semiquincentennial commemorative trees atIndependence National Historical Park.[24] The actual planting of the trees will occur over the course of several years leading up to the semiquincentennial.[25] In 2018, at the state-level, the Pennsylvania Commission for the United States Semiquincentennial Commission (A250PA) was formed.[18]
The commission has announced it is preparing atime capsule for burial in Philadelphia on July 4, 2026, which will be scheduled for unearthing on July 4, 2276, the 500th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.[26]
In 2016, city planners announced "Vision 2026", a plan to redevelopOld City in preparation for the semiquincentennial.[27]
The96th Major League Baseball All-Star Game will be held at Philadelphia'sCitizens Bank Park in mid-July after the semiquincentennial, bookending the47th All-Star Game held at Philadelphia'sVeterans Stadium in 1976 during the bicentennial.[28] Part of the2026 FIFA World Cup will be held at theLincoln Financial Field in between June and July (including a Round of 16 match on July 4).[23] Additionally, the2026 PGA Championship will be held in May atAronimink Golf Club in the Philadelphia suburb ofNewtown Square, Pennsylvania.
Sergio Villavicencio, Vice-President of the Alexander Hamilton Awareness Society, is currently serving as the New York City Semiquincentennial Committee Chair.[29] The Orange County Semiquincentennial Commission was created in 2019,[30] while, in June 2021, the New York State 250th Commemoration Act was enacted, creating a state-wide commission in charge of Semiquincentennial celebrations at the state-level.[31] Part of the2026 FIFA World Cup, includingthe final match will be held atMetLife Stadium in New Jersey between June and July, co-hosting the championship with 15 other venues between Canada, the United States and Mexico, including the "leading cities" of Philadelphia and Boston, at theLincoln Financial Field andGillette Stadium, respectively.[23] In December 2025, it was announced that theTimes Square ball drop on New Year's Eve would feature a collaboration with the Semiquincentennial Commission to launch America250, and that a special one-off edition of the event would take place on July 3, 2026 to count down to midnight on July 4.[32][33][34][35]
TheUnited States Navy will also host the seventhInternational Fleet Review in New York Harbor on July 4, 2026,[36] which will incorporateOpSail 2026. It is expected that 60 ships from 30 countries will take part.[37]
Charleston, South Carolina, chosen due to its past as one of the "locations that witnessed the assertion of American liberty",[38] with the establishment of the South Carolina American Revolution Sestercentennial Commission in 2018,[18] has begun planning battle reenactments and anniversary festivities. These parallel the 2020 celebrations of theCollege of Charleston's 250th anniversary,[39] as well as the 350th anniversary of the city of Charleston, which was called Charles Town during the Revolutionary War.[40]
Camp Pendleton in California had a "live-fireAmphibious Capabilities" demonstration on October 18, 2025, that celebrated theMarine Corps' 250th birthday and the semiquincentennial.[41] As a precaution, theCalifornia Highway Patrol closed 17 miles (27 km) ofInterstate 5 against the guidance of federal officials. During the closure, debris from an exploding shell fell on parked CHP vehicles in Vice PresidentJD Vance's protective detail.[42][43]
TheSons of the American Revolution (SAR) from its national society headquarters inLouisville, Kentucky, announced plans to develop a SAR Education Center and Museum to be opened prior to the 250th Anniversary, which will house galleries and exhibits will highlight the patriot ancestors and tell the story of the American Revolution.[44]
In 2019, the city ofPittsburgh organized the "Pittsburgh's United States 250 Celebration", which will feature a Freedom train with Black and Gold colors, musical celebrations with the Pittsburgh Orchestra, and a major firework display at Fort Pitt in the city's downtown area, with an all-day live parade through all city neighborhoods.[citation needed]
In 2026, Colorado will also observe the 150th anniversary of Colorado entering the Union. TheAmerica 250 - Colorado 150 Commission was established to guide the Centennial State's twin commemorations.[45]
In 2026, theSan Francisco Bay Area will also observe the 250th anniversary of the founding of San Francisco, as well as the 175th anniversary ofSanta Clara University.[46] Several events will be held in honor of the Bay Area's triple celebrations, beginning withSuper Bowl LX which was held atLevi's Stadium inSanta Clara on February 8, 2026 as well as part of the2026 FIFA World Cup at the same stadium in June and July.
On October 15, 2025, Trump proposed aMemorial Circle Arch to be built as part of celebrations to welcome people as they approach thetraffic circle onColumbia Island heading towards theArlington Memorial Bridge and into the west end of theNational Mall.[47][48] The arch would be topped by a statuepersonifying Liberty.
A 5,000 seatUltimate Fighting Championship arena is set to be erected on theSouth Lawn of theWhite House forUFC White House on June 14, 2026.[49]
From December 31, 2025 to January 5, 2026, stories about how America was discovered, its independence, and future were projected on the sides of theWashington Monument.[50][51]
AnIndyCar Series race, theFreedom 250 Grand Prix, was ordered by President Trump on January 30, 2026. It set to be held from August 21–23 at a street course in Washington, D.C.[52]
In 2011, the non-profit organization USA250 was established in Philadelphia to lobby for federal government support of the United States semiquincentennial and establish Philadelphia as the host city for events surrounding the semiquincentennial observances. In 2014, thePhiladelphia City Council ordered a public hearing of the Committee on Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Affairs to investigate "the impact and feasibility of Philadelphia" hosting the United States Semiquincentennial in 2026, among other events.[54][55] TheUnited States Semiquincentennial Commission was subsequently established byPub. L. 114–196 (text)(PDF), 130 Stat. 685, enactedJuly 22, 2016 ("United States Semiquincentennial Commission Act of 2016"), signed by president of the United States,Barack Obama.[26] The act was amended byPub. L. 116–282 (text)(PDF), 130 Stat. 685, enactedDecember 31, 2020, to allow the commission to accept congressional funding, to add a justice of the Supreme Court to the commission, and to make additional technical changes.[56]
On November 15, 2017, theUnited States Department of the Interior issued arequest for proposals seeking a non-profit corporation to act as secretariat to the commission and lead a nationwide organization of observances.[57] TheAmerican Battlefield Trust was named the commission's non-profit partner to serve as Administrative Secretariat, tasked with preparing reports for Congress and helping raise funds for the anniversary observances. The trust "has distinguished itself in fundraising and managing high-profile commemorative events, and that expertise will be invaluable to the U.S.A. 250th Commemoration planning efforts," said then-secretary of the interiorRyan Zinke.[58]
Daniel DiLella, CEO and President of Equus, a leading private equity real estate fund, was appointed Chairperson of theSemiquincentennial Commission in April 2018, leading a 32-member body composed of members of Congress, private citizens, and federal officials.[59]
The commission was tasked with developing a report containing recommendations for the president and Congress within the first two years of its formation. The commission will observe and commemorate not only the Revolution, but also the full history of the U.S. leading up to the 250th Anniversary. Official meetings will be held at Independence Hall in Philadelphia.
In May 2018, DiLella named Frank Giordano as the commission's executive director. Giordano, who heads Atlantic Trailer Leasing in Philadelphia, led the rejuvenation of the formerly strugglingPhilly Pops orchestra and was part of the rejuvenation of the prestigiousUnion League of Philadelphia.[60]
Pennsylvania became the first state to formally begin planning for the anniversary in June 2018 when the commonwealth established the Pennsylvania Semiquincentennial Commission. Four months later, on October 17, Pennsylvania governorTom Wolf named Fresh Grocer supermarket magnate and philanthropist Patrick Burns to chair the state commission.[61]
In August 2018, the State ofNew Jersey launched its effort when New Jersey governorPhil Murphy signed a measure that called on theNew Jersey Historical Commission to create a program focused on the 250th anniversary of the independence of the United States as well as the creation of the state's first constitution. The law appropriated $500,000 to fund the historical commission's planning for the 250th anniversary festivities.[62]
On November 16, 2018, the 33 members of the United States Semiquincentennial were sworn in at Independence Hall in Philadelphia and convened their first organizing meeting to begin eight years of planning and organizing for the 250th national birthday celebration. Dilella estimated that the group would meet three or four times a year.[63] The new commission consisted of 16 private citizens, including chairman DiLella; eight members of Congress and nine federal officials.[64] The day before the meeting, theDaughters of the American Revolution, in partnership with the commission, held a tree-planting ceremony to introduce its Pathway of the Patriots along the Schuylkill River Trail. Project organizers expect to plant 250 new trees along the trail from the city to Valley Forge.[63]
After being named the non-profit partner in October 2018, theAmerican Battlefield Trust provided financial and staff support to get the commission operational as well as initial legal support. It convened more than 50 commission meetings and provided strategic advice for the governance and structure of the commission, including the establishment of leadership roles and governance committees. The trust also created the America 250 Foundation and provided initial recommendations for staffing and structure. It helped the commission develop relationships with key stakeholders and federal agencies, worked to help secure corporate support for the commission, provided temporary commission administrative offices and worked with Congress to secure federal appropriations, providing more than 4,200 work hours in these efforts.[65][full citation needed]
In July 2021, the America250 Foundation made public its website as well as its marketing campaign, which initially consisted of advertisements in more than 4,559 locations in the four "leading cities," as well as a public service announcement aired onComcast NBCUniversal networks that summer. Advertisements were displayed "[from]Times Square and theLincoln Tunnel in New York to theWalt Whitman Bridge in Philadelphia," with original content also being published on the campaign's social media accounts.[66]
On August 2, 2021, on the 245th anniversary of the starting of thesigning of the United States Declaration of Independence, members of the Semiquincentennial Commission and otherfederal agencies met at theThomas Jefferson Building Great Hall of theLibrary of Congress to sign a memorandum of understanding to further collaborate and coordinate on semiquincentennial activities.[67][68]
In July 2022, PresidentJoe Biden designated former treasurer of the United StatesRosie Rios as chair of the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission. Rios, who replaced Dan DiLella, was first appointed to the commission on January 11, 2018. DiLella will continue to serve as a commissioner.[69] On October 3, 2022, Rios announced that CEO Joe Daniels had resigned. Daniels, who came from the9/11 Memorial Museum in New York City, had served as America 250 CEO for one year.[70]
On August 1, 2024, the Semiquincentennial Commission announced that former presidentsGeorge W. Bush andBarack Obama, as well as their spouses, former first ladiesLaura Bush andMichelle Obama, will serve as the commission's honorary national co-chairs.[71]
During his2024 presidential campaign,Donald Trump pledged to throw a "spectacular birthday party" to honor the anniversary, by assembling a White House task force named "White House Task Force on Celebrating America's 250th Birthday".[72] The Task Force is separate from the bipartisan United States Semiquincentennial Commission with the White House-led "Task Force 250" chaired by Trump and his political appointees, and is described as more overtly political.[73] Its funding arm, "Freedom 250", assisted Task Force 250's execution of Trump's proposals.[74] Initial proposals included a "Great American State Fair" to be held in theIowa State Fairgrounds, featuring pavilions from all fifty states,[75] "Patriot Games" for high-school athletes, public monuments such as aNational Garden of American Heroes, and other year-long celebrations and projects across the country.[76] On January 29, 2025, President Trump signedExecutive Order 14189, entitled "Celebrating America's 250th Birthday".[77] It also proposed aUFC fight on the White House lawn.[74]
Trump's formation of Task Force 250 was criticized by Democrats and some historians as an attempt to politicize the celebrations, with conservative author and political scientistJohn J. Pitney describing them as "an opportunity for people to curry Trump's favor" through donations. John Dichtl, president of theAmerican Association for State and Local History criticized Task Force 250's the decision to host a UFC fight on the White House lawn, writing "What does a (UFC) fight have to do with America's greatness?" A June 21 letter by Democrats on the bipartisan America250 commission questioned its relationship to the Trump-led Task Force 250 and its events.[74]
The launch of bisesquicentennial celebrations occurred amidst record-low levels of patriotism,[1] largely driven by cratering pride among Democrats and independents during Trump's second presidency.[78] These celebrations were described as featuring competing narratives over American history,[79][80] such as with conflicts over theremoval of Confederate monuments and memorials.[81]The Economist described them as "shaping up not as mere metaphor but as a straightforward display of America's fractured state".[73]
Trump's cost-cutting measures across the federal government were described as complicating celebrations, with funding cuts for theNational Endowment for the Humanities leading togrant terminations for several state humanities councils that were working on programming for the 250th celebration.[7] CNN reported that state and local planners expressed fears over the president's brand of politics and funding cuts, writing that they were "concerned about a lack of resources to put on their own events and fear that the overall tenor will turn partisan as opposed to unifying, leaving little room for meaningful reflection on the nation's past".[82]
Fears of politicization emerged during the planning.[79]Axios described them as taking on a "MAGA bent" since January 2025, with Trump coming up with and announcing more ideas for celebrations throughout the year. These events included a "soft launch" of America250 festivities duringTrump's military parade in June that became overshadowed by the millions across the country who protested on the same day during theNo Kings protests.[1][6][83]The Economist described the Trump administration's March 2025 executive order requesting an audit of federal historical sites and the Smithsonian Museum to remove "divisive narratives" viewed as promotingDEI and "leftist" ideologies, such as ordering the removal of signs mentioning slavery at national parks, as an example of the nation's history becoming a "partisan battleground" ahead of the festivities.[73]
Trump was criticized for taking more control over the non-partisan congressional America250 organization. He installedFox News producer Ariel Abergel and Trump campaign officials as leaders, dropped contractors with ties to Democrats, partnered with conservative organizationPragerU to provide educational materials for festivities, and had America250 partner with a cryptocurrency event featuring his two sons.[79] The committee also partnered with conservative organizationMoms for Liberty, and allowed its "America250" branding to be used at Trump rallies.[84] Giant banners with Trump's face and "America250" branding were hung alongsideTheodore Roosevelt at the Department of Labor headquarters in Washington, D.C.[85] A letter to Rios and Abergel by all of the Democratic lawmakers on the commission wrote that: "Unfortunately, recent America250 funded and branded events have been partisan and have not served America250's purpose and mission of uniting us as a nation."[82] In September 2025, the commission fired Abergel, with sources tellingThe Wall Street Journal that he had attempted to steer the direction of programming towards honoring Trump.[86]
During the opening announcement for America250 inDes Moines, Iowa, on July 3, 2025, Trump criticized Democrats, saying "I hate them" and that "I cannot stand them, because I really believe they hate our country",[84] and also said those who voted against hisOne Big Beautiful Bill Act "hate our country".[7] He also mocked former presidentJoe Biden's speaking style, repeated hislie of a stolen 2020 election,criticized the "fake news" media, and engaged in campaign-style rhetoric praising his accomplishments and suggesting he was the greatest president in United States history.[81]The Associated Press called Trump as viewing "patriotism as inseparable from his own agenda", and the event featured large amounts of pro-Trump campaign gear and memorabilia.[7][81]
The White House stated it has sent letters to state governors and ambassadors to display its "Founder's Museum" exhibit made in partnership with PragerU in capitols, schools, and embassies. The exhibit received criticism from historians for blurring history with AI-generated fiction and having historical characters repeat the phrase "facts don't care about your feelings" popularized by conservative commentatorBen Shapiro.[87]
The decision of the US Mint to create a two-headed commemorative $1 dollar coin of Trump was widely criticized by historians as antithetical to America's anti-monarchical ethos. It was described as coming in spite of a 2005 congressional authorization that stated coins should not "bear the image of a living former or current president". Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated that a 2020 law allowed "designs emblematic of the United States semiquincentennial" and that "there is no profile more emblematic for the front of this coin than that of our serving President, Donald J. Trump."The New York Times highlighted passages from the law which also stated "No head and shoulders portrait or bust of any person, living or dead, and no portrait of a living person may be included in the design on the reverse of any coin", which would make such a decision likely illegal.[88]
Many donors to America250 have been seen as Trump-friendly, includingAmazon,Coinbase, and theUltimate Fighting Championship.[1]
His novel allowed Americans to view their bicentennial through the commemorative year of a century before; present-day readers, six years away from the semiquincentennial of the republic (if we can keep it), can discern some of their own grotesque times through the author's vision of 1876.
As President Donald Trump's military parade rolled through the nation's capital on Saturday, millions of Americans across the country took part in the largest coordinated protests against the president since the start of his second administration.
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