July 4, 2026, is the Declaration of Independence Semiquincentennial. It represents the 250th birthday of the nation. We seek to celebrate the revolutionary period leading up to the Declaration, beginning with the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Lexington and Concord.
Tensions between Great Britain and her North American colonies had been growing at least since the end of the Seven Year’s War in 1763. These tensions exploded into a shooting war and full blown rebellion with “the shot heard around the world” on the town green in Lexington, Massachusetts. April 19, 2025, represents the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Lexington and Concord.
For us, the semiquincentenntial (250th anniversary) celebration begins with the anniversary of the exchange at Lexington. Between April 2025 and July 2026, we intend to devote many of our articles to the history of that time period, commemorating events on or around their anniversary. We invite all Americans to join in this celebration.
U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission and America250
Congress established the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission in 2016 to plan and execute celebrations to celebrate 250 years of American Independence. Eight elected commissioners serve on the commission. These include two Republican Senators, two Democratic Senators, two Republican Representatives from the House of Representatives, and 2 Democratic Representatives. Party leaders in Congress appoint these commissioners. In addition, Congressional leadership appoint 16 private citizens who are not employees or office holders in any level of government. The President of the United States then selects one of the 16 private citizens to be chair. Additional federal officials may also be appointed to the commission.
The commission receives very limited federal appropriations (a few million dollars). The vast majority of funding for semiquincentenntial celebrations comes from the America250 Foundation. This foundation is funded by numerous large American corporations. America250 works with the commission to build public-private partnerships to facilitate various celebrations.
America250 commissions have also been established within each state and territory of the United States. These commissions work to facilitate state and local celebrations around the country.
America’s 250th anniversary is about more than reflecting on our past, it’s about honoring the contributions of individuals who built this country, the innovations that put this country on the map and a man on the moon, and imagining what the next 250 years might look like for our children and the generations to come.
Rosie Rios, Chair, U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission
Executive Order
President Trump signed an Executive Order on January 29, 2025, creating a White House Task Force to facilitate celebrations of America’s 250th Birthday, called Task Force 250.
Task Force 250 shall coordinate with the executive departments and agencies (agencies) to plan, organize, and execute an extraordinary celebration of the 250th Anniversary of American Independence and shall coordinate agencies’ communications with the United States Semiquincentennial Commission. In addition, the Executive Director may seek information or advice from such other agencies as Task Force 250 shall direct.
Section 3 of the order provides for the creation of a National Garden of American Heroes, reinstating an order from President Trump’s first term that was rescinded by President Biden in May 2021. The goal is to create a display memorializing 250 significant historical Americans.
Celebrating the Semiquincentennial
Participation in organized events is an excellent way to celebrate America’s 250 years of independence. Getting involved to help organize events in your area can only deepen the experience.
Whatever you do, between now and July 4, 2026, this should be a deeply unifying event for the nation. We believe that a deeper understanding of the founding principles of the nation can unify the nation more powerfully than anything else.
Looking Forward
Independence was really the beginning of the Founding Period. If we look at the Founding Period as a whole, we could run semiquincentennial events from now until 2041. Here are some key dates we could celebrate in the founding period.
- 1783 (2033) – Treaty of Paris ending Revolutionary War and British recognition of the new Country
- 1787 (2037) – Constitutional Convention, Concluding September 17 (Constitution Day)
- 1788 (2038) – Constitution Ratified and in Force, June 21
- 1791 (2041) – Ratification of the Bill of Rights, December 15
