With the 248th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in the rearview mirror, planning for the United States’ 250th is kicking into high gear. This monthly column will highlight the newest plans, in hopes that you find inspiration for your own 250th anniversary commemoration! (And when you do, please be sure and tell us!)
National Plans for the 250th Anniversary
America250 announced that President George W. Bush, Mrs. Laura Bush, President Barack Obama and Mrs. Michelle Obama will serve as Honorary National Co-Chairs of the national effort to celebrate and commemorate the 250th Anniversary of the United States. The organization recently announced the first cohort of student winners of America’s Field Trip. The contest will continue in 2025 and 2026.
American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) has developed Making History at 250: The Field Guide for the Semiquincentennial, a resource with guiding themes to help the history community prepare for 2026, along with a variety of other resources.
The National Park Service has developed Teaching the 250th with Historic Places: A Field Guide to Lessons for America’s Semiquincentennial, inquiry-based, student-centered lesson plans built on primary source documents.
PBS Books and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) are partnering on “Visions of America: All Stories, All People, All Places,” a digital-first series of videos and conversations that explores the America we live in today.
The Revolution 250 Podcast, created by a consortium of New England 250th planning groups, is releasing weekly episodes featuring the people who brought about the revolution.
Sail250 is a global gathering of tall ships and military ships celebrating the 250th anniversary with visits to the ports of New Orleans, Norfolk, Baltimore, New York City, and Boston.
Keep America Beautiful is sponsoring the Greatest American Cleanup to make America look its best for our nation’s 250th birthday.
Most states have formed 250th Commissions to oversee planning – find your state commission and get involved!
Inspiration and Tips for your Own 250th Planning
If you don’t already have plans in place for the 250th, don’t fret – there is still time to craft a meaningful commemoration of the anniversary that strengthens your organization’s mission and furthers its goals.
To get started, read about AASLH’s five themes:
Unfinished Revolutions
Power of Place
We the People
American Experiment
Doing History
These themes were intentionally created to be broad, allowing heritage and cultural organizations representing all types of history and culture to get involved, even if you don’t have a direct tie to the Revolutionary era.
After you are familiar with these themes, create an inventory of your existing stories and resources, and then assign one or more themes to each one. This exercise will help you identify the themes you can most easily embrace throughout the anniversary, without needing to add new programs, events, or exhibits.
For a museum, your resources include:
Exhibits
Artifacts
Stories
Buildings
Programs
Events
Location
For a byway or heritage area, your resources include:
The list above
Partner organizations
Trails
Interpretive themes tying your byway/area together
Of course, an anniversary is a chance to get creative, so don’t shy away from planning something new! This will help generate extra attention, revenue, and excitement for your organization.
Some ideas from other organizations to inspire you:
Pennsylvania’s America250PA is sponsoring the Liberty Tree Project, with a goal of planting certified Liberty Trees in every county in the state. You can pursue a similar goal by planting 250 new trees in your community.
Partner with an outdoor recreation outfitter on hikes, bike rides, and/or kayak rides along your historic route, like Three Village Historical Society is doing with Tri-Spy Tours' exploration of the Setauket Spy Ring.
Abilene, Kansas, is creating the state’s first America 250 mural. This is a great community project any organization can spearhead with its community.
For more ideas on 250th anniversary planning, search the 250th Inspiration Project and watch for next month’s column -- sign up here to get it emailed right your your inbox!