We all can find this word, “semiquincentennial”, to be a real mouthful. Thank goodness for the phonetic spelling in the dictionary. If you are browsing the internet, you will soon learn that most folks call it AMERICA250 or AMERICA250MI. Whatever you call it, it is a date worth remembering and celebrating. This date marks the anniversary of the Declaration of Independence which originated on July 4, 1776. The Declaration of Independence represents the birth of our nation and was written by our Founding Fathers.
Today it has become a government sponsored event, which was first celebrated in 1826 at the fifty-year anniversary of its creation. That year was exceptional because it also marked the deaths of former presidents John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, both members of the Committee of Five who penned the document. Fifty years later, in 1876, it was celebrated at the Centennial Exposition held in Philadelphia. Then in 1976 there were nationwide celebrations of the bicentennial. In 2026 we will be celebrating 250 years of our American experiment in democracy.
There are two main organizers for celebrating our semiquincentennial:
First, we have the United States Semiquincentennial Commission, a congressional, non-partisan organization established in 2016. Secondly, we have the White House Task Force on Celebrating America’s 250th Anniversary established in 2025.
As a former educator and public servant, I am intrigued by the AMERICA250’s in-depth approach to this upcoming milestone. I was pleased to find that we have a Michigan chapter of this huge initiative to plan, encourage, develop, and coordinate the commemoration of Michigan’s role in and the impact of the American Revolution. It involves collaboration across the state through the efforts of municipalities, cultural and civic organizations, libraries, schools, and community groups. The goal is to embrace the good and the bad of that history in the effort to build an informed community to lead us into a sustainable future.
Within the Semiquincentennial Commission’s Approach there are three initiatives: Our American Story, a year-long cross-country journey of collecting thousands of recorded interviews; American Field Trips, a multi-year writing contest for grades 3-12 that can underwrite the author’s visit to iconic American sites; and America Gives, a year of volunteer service, facilitated by AMERICA 250.
The resources at the state and national level are abundant for an individual or a group to create a personal celebration honoring the history of our country and provide meaningful education to upcoming generations. A good place to start would be at AMERICA250MI.org, your local library and the Vicksburg Historical Society have many resources as well.
As senior citizens we can help create an environment and opportunities to discuss our founding goals. The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were far from perfect then and now. Let us never cease engaging in the work and commitment that will lead to the best possible version of the values raised in 1776.
