United States Semiquincentennial

United States Semiquincentennial
DateJuly 4, 2026 (July 4, 2026)
LocationUnited States
Previous eventBicentennial (1976)
Next eventTricentennial (2076)
Activity250th anniversary of the Second Continental Congress adopting the Declaration of Independence
Organized by
Websiteamerica250.org

The United States Semiquincentennial,[a] also called the Bisesquicentennial, the Sestercentennial, or the Quarter Millennium, will be the 250th anniversary of the United States Declaration of Independence. Festivities will mark various events leading up to the Declaration's anniversary on the 250th Independence Day: July 4, 2026.

Official planning for the celebrations began in 2016 with the congressional, non-partisan United States Semiquincentennial Commission. In 2025, President Donald Trump created the White House Task Force on Celebrating America's 250th Birthday to also promote and plan the events. A soft launch of celebrations began with the United States Army 250th Anniversary Parade on June 14, 2025.[1] America250 events formally began on the eve of July 4, 2025.[6][1]

Background

The Second Continental Congress, meeting in Philadelphia, voted for the independence of the United Colonies by passing the Lee Resolution on July 2, 1776.[7] The Declaration of Independence, mainly written by Committee of Five member Thomas Jefferson, was proclaimed on July 4, the date on which the anniversary of independence is observed.[8]

There were no major government-sponsored 50th anniversary observances on July 4, 1826, which was the day that the Founding Fathers and former presidents John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both died. In 1876, the United States organized nationwide centennial observances centered on the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia.[9] In 1926, a Sesquicentennial Exposition was held in Philadelphia, and in 1976, bicentennial observances were held throughout the country.[9]

Organization

Celebrations are organized by two main organizations at the federal level: the non-partisan congressional America250 Commission created in 2016 and backed by a nonprofit; and the White House Task Force on Celebrating America's 250th Birthday, chaired by Donald 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 nonprofit America First Policy Institute will lead the coalition of more than 40 conservative organizations, including Turning Point USA, the Heritage Foundation, and Hillsdale College, with oversight from the Department of Education.[10]

Activities and observances

Federal legislation directs that semiquincentennial events receive special focus in the cities of Boston, Philadelphia, Charleston, and New York (pictured, clockwise from top left)

The United States Semiquincentennial Commission Act of 2016 directs the United States Government to issue commemorative coins and postage stamps, and commission appropriately named naval vessels, in advance of the semiquincentennial.[11] 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".[12]

The Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act of 2020 allows the United States Mint to redesign any coins in 2026. It calls for a series of five designs for the quarter, including one depicting women's contributions to independence.[13] 2025 changes by the second Trump administration ignored recommendations by the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee and removed coins celebrating abolition, women's suffrage and the civil rights movement as part of a campaign against "wokeness".[14]

Plans for the casting of a new public bell are being coordinated by the National Bell Festival. The bell will honor 250 years of women's contributions to U.S. history, and will lead nationwide ringing tributes during the celebrations.[15]

Leading cities

Boston

In 2016, Revolution 250, a non-profit group organized to plan commemorative events in Boston surrounding the semiquincentennial, was established.[16] According to the organization, it is a consortium of 56 groups,[17] including the Society of the Cincinnati, the National Park Service, the Boston Tea Party Museum, the New England Historic Genealogical Society, the Suffolk University history department, the Boston Downtown Business Improvement District, The Bostonian Society, and others.[18]

The incident known as the Powder Alarm of 1774 in the city now known as Somerville was commemorated by a reenactment in 2024, on a Sunday 250 years after the Sunday of the actual event.[19] The following day, activities in nearby Cambridge explored the consequences of this event.[20]

For the 250th Evacuation Day celebrations, commemorating the evacuation of British forces from the city of Boston following the siege of Boston, early in the American Revolutionary War, on March 17, 2026, the NPS will carry out a $25 million overhaul of the Dorchester 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."[21]

In honor of George Washington's troops' final leg of the trip to secretly haul cannons from Fort Hill to the Fortification 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.[21]

Part of the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be held at the Gillette 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 the Lincoln Financial Field and MetLife Stadium, respectively.[22]

Philadelphia

In 2017, the Daughters of the American Revolution announced a grant of $380,000 to the city of Philadelphia to plant 76 semiquincentennial commemorative trees at Independence National Historical Park.[23] The actual planting of the trees will occur over the course of several years leading up to the semiquincentennial.[24] In 2018, at the state-level, the Pennsylvania Commission for the United States Semiquincentennial Commission (A250PA) was formed.[17]

The commission has announced it is preparing a time 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.[25]

In 2016, city planners announced "Vision 2026", a plan to redevelop Old City in preparation for the semiquincentennial.[26]

The 96th Major League Baseball All-Star Game will be held at Philadelphia's Citizens Bank Park in mid-July after the semiquincentennial, bookending the 47th All-Star Game held at Philadelphia's Veterans Stadium in 1976 during the bicentennial.[27] Part of the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be held at the Lincoln Financial Field in between June and July (including a Round of 16 match on July 4).[22] Additionally, the 2026 PGA Championship will be held in May at Aronimink Golf Club in the Philadelphia suburb of Newtown Square, Pennsylvania.

New York

Sergio Villavicencio, Vice-President of the Alexander Hamilton Awareness Society, is currently serving as the New York City Semiquincentennial Committee Chair.[28] The Orange County Semiquincentennial Commission was created in 2019,[29] 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.[30] Part of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, including the final match will be held at MetLife 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 the Lincoln Financial Field and Gillette Stadium, respectively.[22] In December 2025, it was announced that the Times 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.[31][32][33][34]

The United States Navy will also host the seventh International Fleet Review in New York Harbor on July 4, 2026,[35] which will incorporate OpSail 2026. It is expected that 60 ships from 30 countries will take part.[36]

Charleston, South Carolina

Charleston, South Carolina, chosen due to its past as one of the "locations that witnessed the assertion of American liberty",[37] with the establishment of the South Carolina American Revolution Sestercentennial Commission in 2018,[17] has begun planning battle reenactments and anniversary festivities. These parallel the 2020 celebrations of the College of Charleston's 250th anniversary,[38] as well as the 350th anniversary of the city of Charleston, which was called Charles Town during the Revolutionary War.[39]

Other places

Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton

Camp Pendleton in California had a "live-fire Amphibious Capabilities" demonstration on October 18, 2025, that celebrated the Marine Corps' 250th birthday and the semiquincentennial.[40] As a precaution, the California Highway Patrol closed 17 miles (27 km) of Interstate 5 against the guidance of federal officials. During the closure, debris from an exploding shell fell on parked CHP vehicles in Vice President JD Vance's protective detail.[41][42]

Louisville

The Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) from its national society headquarters in Louisville, 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.[43]

Pittsburgh

In 2019, the city of Pittsburgh 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.

Denver

In 2026, Colorado will also observe the 150th anniversary of Colorado entering the Union. The America 250 - Colorado 150 Commission was established to guide the Centennial State's twin commemorations.[44]

San Francisco

In 2026, the San Francisco Bay Area will also observe the 250th anniversary of the founding of San Francisco, as well as the 175th anniversary of Santa Clara University.[45] Several events will be held in honor of the Bay Area's triple celebrations, beginning with Super Bowl LX which was held at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara on February 8, 2026 as well as part of the 2026 FIFA World Cup at the same stadium in June and July.

Washington, D.C.

On October 15, 2025, Trump proposed a Memorial Circle Arch to be built as part of celebrations to welcome people as they approach the traffic circle on Columbia Island heading towards the Arlington Memorial Bridge and into the west end of the National Mall.[46][47] The arch would be topped by a statue personifying Liberty.

A 5,000 seat Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) arena is set to be erected on the South Lawn of the White House for UFC White House on June 14, 2026.[48]

From December 31, 2025 to January 5, 2026, stories about how America was discovered, its independence, and future were projected on the sides of the Washington Monument.[49][50]

An IndyCar Series race, the Freedom 250 Grand Prix, was ordered by President Trump on January 30, 2026. It is set to be held from August 21–23 at a street course in Washington, D.C.[51]

Planning

America250

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, the Philadelphia 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.[53][54] The United States Semiquincentennial Commission was subsequently established by Pub. L. 114–196 (text) (PDF), 130 Stat. 685, enacted July 22, 2016 ("United States Semiquincentennial Commission Act of 2016"), signed by president of the United States, Barack Obama.[25] The act was amended by Pub. L. 116–282 (text) (PDF), 130 Stat. 685, enacted December 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.[55]

On November 15, 2017, the United States Department of the Interior issued a request for proposals seeking a non-profit corporation to act as secretariat to the commission and lead a nationwide organization of observances.[56] The American 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 interior Ryan Zinke.[57]

Daniel DiLella, CEO and President of Equus, a leading private equity real estate fund, was appointed Chairperson of the Semiquincentennial Commission in April 2018, leading a 32-member body composed of members of Congress, private citizens, and federal officials.[58] 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.

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.[59] The new commission consisted of 16 private citizens, including chairman DiLella; eight members of Congress and nine federal officials.[60] The day before the meeting, the Daughters 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.[59]

After being named the non-profit partner in October 2018, the American 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.[61]

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 on Comcast NBCUniversal networks that summer. Advertisements were displayed "[from] Times Square and the Lincoln Tunnel in New York to the Walt Whitman Bridge in Philadelphia," with original content also being published on the campaign's social media accounts.[62]

External videos
Memorandum of Understanding for Cooperation in Support for Cooperation in Support of the 250th Anniversary of the United States of America
America 250 Interagency Memorandum of Understanding Signing Ceremony on YouTube (August 20, 2021)

In July 2022, President Joe Biden designated former treasurer of the United States Rosie 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.[63] On October 3, 2022, Rios announced that CEO Joe Daniels had resigned. Daniels, who came from the 9/11 Memorial Museum in New York City, had served as America 250 CEO for one year.[64]

On August 1, 2024, the Semiquincentennial Commission announced that former presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, as well as their spouses, former first ladies Laura Bush and Michelle Obama, will serve as the commission's honorary national co-chairs.[65]

By 2025, Trump was criticized for taking more control over the non-partisan congressional America250 organization. He installed Fox News producer Ariel Abergel and Trump campaign officials as leaders, dropped contractors with ties to Democrats, partnered with conservative organization PragerU to provide educational materials for festivities, and had America250 partner with a cryptocurrency event featuring his two sons.[66] The committee also partnered with conservative organization Moms for Liberty, and allowed its "America250" branding to be used at Trump rallies.[67] Giant banners with Trump's face and "America250" branding were hung alongside Theodore Roosevelt at the Department of Labor headquarters in Washington, D.C.[68] 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."[69] In September 2025, the commission fired Abergel, with sources telling The Wall Street Journal that he had attempted to steer the direction of programming towards honoring Trump.[70]

By the end of 2025, $10 million worth of funding towards America250 was diverted to Freedom 250's "Freedom Trucks". In early 2026, Representative Bonnie Watson Coleman stated that America250 had only received $25 million of its congressionally appropriated $150 million, and was concerned the remainder would be reallocated to the Trump-aligned Freedom 250.[71] The 250 Commission stated that it had enough money to continue with its original programming, which include "America's Field Trip" asking students across the country what America means to them, and the national volunteering effort "America Gives".[72]

White House Task Force 250 / Freedom 250

Main article: Task Force 250

During his 2024 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".[73] 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.[74] Its funding arm, "Freedom 250", assisted Task Force 250's execution of Trump's proposals.[75] In 2025, internal documents from the Interior Department instructed its staff to make Freedom 250 the "primary branding" for all national birthday events.[71]

The New York Times described events held by Trump's Freedom 250 as having "lacked connection to American history", and were described as "tailored to Mr. Trump's political agenda and his penchant for spectacle, personal branding and legacy".[71] The Associated Press described it as focused on "splashy events" compared to America250's focus on civic engagement and history.[72] Initial proposals included a "Great American State Fair" to be held in the Iowa State Fairgrounds, featuring pavilions from all fifty states,[76] "Patriot Games" for high-school athletes, public monuments such as a National Garden of American Heroes, and other year-long celebrations and projects across the country.[77] On January 29, 2025, President Trump signed Executive Order 14189, entitled "Celebrating America's 250th Birthday".[78] It also proposed a UFC fight on the White House lawn.[75]

Freedom 250 offered access to Trump and other benefits to donors who gave $1 million to the organization. The Times described the organization as taking on a "Trumpian flare" and overshadowing years of planning work done by America250. While America250 is a stand-alone congressionally authorized nonprofit group, Freedom 250 "utilizes opaque corporate structures" and is "technically a limited liability company created by, and housed inside, the National Park Foundation".[71] US embassies promoted Freedom 250 and America250 to overseas donors to host lavish parties and events, with former diplomats and business executives describing an "aggressive" fundraising push that raised tens of millions of dollars. Freedom 250 spokeswoman Danielle Alvarez stated that the Freedom 250 name had been embraced across the administration, and suggested that embassies were using the name as shorthand for their own semiquincentennial initiatives not directly related to the group and that it did not receive foreign funding.[79]

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 scientist John J. Pitney describing them as "an opportunity for people to curry Trump's favor" through donations. John Dichtl, president of the American 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.[75]

In February 2026, Democratic senators launched a probe into Freedom 250's funding practices over its transparency and potential conflicts of interest.[80] During a February congressional hearing, Democratic Representative Jared Huffman accused the Trump administration of using Freedom 250 to "hijack the country's 250th anniversary and sell access, hide his donors and rewrite history" and that Republicans had "let him clean house and put loyalists on the board of the National Park Foundation, open the door to foreign, dark money donors to buy influence with zero oversight". Representative Maxine Dexter expressed concerns that the organization was using public money and mixing it with private donations, and that the structure of the organization made it difficult to trace where the money came from. The Interior Department has stated that the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission receives money through an interagency agreement with the National Park Service, but did not respond to questions regarding the distribution of federal money to America250.[72]

Reactions

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.[81] These celebrations were described as featuring competing narratives over American history,[66][82] such as with conflicts over the removal of Confederate monuments and memorials.[83] The Economist described them as "shaping up not as mere metaphor but as a straightforward display of America's fractured state".[74]

Trump's cost-cutting measures across the federal government were described as complicating celebrations, with funding cuts for the National Endowment for the Humanities leading to grant terminations for several state humanities councils that were working on programming for the 250th celebration.[6] 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".[69]

Politicization and protests

See also: United States Semiquincentennial Commission § Politicization

Criticism of the celebrations for politicization and praising Trump and conservatism emerged over official programming decisions.[84] 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 during Trump's military parade in June that became overshadowed by the millions across the country who protested on the same day during the No Kings protests.[1][85][86] 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 promoting DEI 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.[74]

During the opening announcement for America250 in Des 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",[67] and also said those who voted against his One Big Beautiful Bill Act "hate our country".[6] He also mocked former president Joe Biden's speaking style, repeated his lie 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.[83] 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.[6][83]

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 commentator Ben Shapiro.[87] Freedom 250's "Freedom Trucks" exhibit was funded by $10 million worth of congressionally authorized funding diverted from America 250, and was criticized being made by conservative Hillsdale College and PragerU and prominently featuring quotes by Trump and a video he filmed inside the Oval Office.[71]

Many donors to America250 have been seen as Trump-friendly, including Amazon, Coinbase, and the Ultimate Fighting Championship.[1]

Trump coins

Further information: United States Semiquincentennial coinage § Trump dollar proposal

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]

In early 2026, the Mint proposed an additional "review and discussion of a Semiquincentennial Gold Coin" that would feature Trump to the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee.[89] Acting chairman Donald Scarinci criticized the decision, writing that:

"For 250 years, since that great document was signed — with a few controversial exceptions — no nation on earth has issued coins with the image of a democratically elected leader during the time of their service. Only those nations ruled by kings or dictators display the image of their sitting ruler on the coins of the realm. God bless America, and may God preserve our nation."[89]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Refers to "half (semi) of five (quin) of a century," an alternative of which is Bicenquinquagenary which comes from two (bi), hundred (cen(t)) and fifty (quinquagen).[2] The first mention of the term "semiquincentennial" in The New York Times was in a 2020 review by Thomas Mallon of Gore Vidal's 1976 novel 1876, observing that "[h]is 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."[3][4][5]

References

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  3. ^ Mallon, Thomas (September 11, 2020). "Stories of Then That Still Hold Up Now". The New York Times. ISSN 1553-8095. Archived from the original on September 11, 2020. Retrieved April 17, 2022. 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.
  4. ^ Frost, Natasha (September 13, 2020). "Belarus Protests, Migrants, U.K. Coronavirus: Your Monday Briefing". The New York Times. ISSN 1553-8095. Archived from the original on September 14, 2020. Retrieved April 17, 2022.
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