Mixed Reactions to the 250th Birthday
This July 4, the U.S. will mark its semiquincentennial — the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. So far, the birthday festivities have garnered mixed reactions. There was UFC Freedom 250, which brought a giant open-air cage fighting venue to the White House grounds, where 14 fighters squared off before a crowd of 4,300, including President Donald Trump and his family. Then there’s the administration’s $13 million overhaul of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, painted an “American flag blue” at Trump’s direction — a makeover that appears to be peeling less than two weeks after completion.
Lastly, there’s the upcoming “Great American State Fair,” originally billed as a concert before many performers (Bret Michaels, Martina McBride, the Commodores) backed out. The kickoff event will now feature remarks from Trump, along with performances by Lee Greenwood and opera crossover singer Christopher Macchio.
Reflections on the 1976 Bicentennial
Fifty years ago, as America celebrated its bicentennial, the vibes were much different and considerably less partisan. Civic groups and schoolchildren decorated local fire hydrants to resemble Revolutionary War soldiers, minutemen, Betsy Ross and Uncle Sam. Queen Elizabeth attended. A grand parade of 16 tall ships from 14 nations sailed from the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge up the Hudson River, drawing 6 million spectators in New York Harbor. President Gerald Ford, seeking to unite the country after Watergate, did not make the celebration about himself.
Authors and HuffPost readers shared memories of the bicentennial. Jennifer Keith, a graphic designer, recalled being 12 in 1976: “Our neighborhood celebration was epic. There was a parade of all the kids, a bike decorating contest, and I was dressed as Betsy Ross. I sewed my own dress at a Singer Sewing class. Hope was abundant then. Now, AI threatens jobs, we have no functioning government, and climate collapse looms. I would go back to 1976 in a heartbeat.”
Patriotic but Not MAGA Patriotic
Myron Clifton, an author, was also 12 in 1976 in Oakland. He remembered collecting bicentennial coins and watching TV specials. “It was patriotic, but not MAGA patriotic. It felt like a shared birthday. Today, white supremacy has emerged, and I hold no special place for the nation’s birthday.”
Paul Clemmons, then 15 in Red Bluff, California, recalled water skiers forming a pyramid with U.S. flags — but they were naked, streaking past the event. The sheriff’s boat gave chase but lost them in blackberry brambles.
Military Memories and a $2 Bill Gift
Steve Baker, stationed at Pearl Harbor on a submarine, attended a celebration at Schofield Barracks. Bob Shibley, serving in Germany, celebrated there. Paul Haddad, then 10 in Los Angeles, received 10 two-dollar bills from his father, newly printed for the bicentennial with an engraving of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. “I kept one in my wallet for 10 years. I’m not engaged in the semiquincentennial; 250 is not as nice a round number.”
Loss of Innocence and Community
Susan Giuliani, a content creator, was 9 in 1976. “I felt being an American was the best thing in the world. The bicentennial helped heal the country after Vietnam and Watergate. Now, tall ships have given way to UFC fights, and a commemorative coin glorifies one man for $12,000. Yet I still celebrate, because America is bigger than one man.”
Jonathan Plucker, a professor at Johns Hopkins, was 6 and remembered a reenactment of Benedict Arnold’s raid on Fort Griswold. “We booed when the American colonel was stabbed. Today, the biggest negative is the loss of community. In the 1970s, you knew all your neighbors. Now we just wave. But we’ve also gained abundance and technology.”
Teenage Cynicism and Climate Action
Pat Thompson was 16 in 1976. “Everything was bicentennial-themed, and as teenagers, we were tired of it. My sister’s yearbook was forced to have a red, white, and blue theme. Now I’m 66, and freedom and equality appear no longer true. We are ruled by a kleptocratic narcissist. I’ll celebrate by walking in a climate action parade.”
Jim Whittington, a geography professor, was in eighth grade in Huntsville, Texas. “I reveled in the bicentennial, wearing USA caps and reading history books. Now I have two daughters in their 20s who fear the government. With Roe overturned and higher education under assault, they feel trapped. It’s hard to celebrate when the current government is antithetical to the Declaration.”
Hoping for Fried Apple Pies
David Berry summed up the mood: “In 1976, I watched bicentennial minutes, saved coins, and went to fireworks. This year, I’m hoping McDonald’s brings back the deep-fried apple pie. Trump robbed this nation of its joy.”
