You’ve likely heard that this year is America’s 250th birthday. But what actually happened on that summer day?
The big day is July 4th, 2026. It’ll mark a quarter millennium since the final text of the Declaration of Independence was approved by the Second Continental Congress. It severed political ties between the thirteen colonies and Great Britain.
Colonists were sick of British policies on taxation and the lack of representation in government.
Approving the declaration meant the colonies were able to form an alliance with France, which they needed for support in the looming war against Britain.
Former U.S. Treasurer Rosie Rios is the chair of the America 250 Commission. The commission is responsible for planning events leading up to the semi-quincentennial.
In celebrating the anniversary, Rios says the country is reflecting on where we’ve been, where we are, and where we’re headed.
“Our country is ready to celebrate, to honor our past, to connect with each other in the present, and hopefully set the tone for the next 250 years for our country moving forward,” Rios said.
Rios and her team have planned a slew of events and ways to get involved. It’s all at America250.org.
She’s confident that, despite the divide many Americans feel in our country, this can be something that brings us together.
“We as a country want this to be something that we know we are honoring at this moment,” Rios said. “But we know that also we have that responsibility to make it a movement and to keep this feeling of being that land of opportunity all over again, something that we can continuously do as a journey of our country, which perhaps we've never taken before.”
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