At 250, historian says America has survived deeper divisions

CBS News marked the run-up to the nation’s 250th birthday on Saturday with historian Douglas Brinkley arguing that the United States was born in conflict, not harmony. His commentary, part of the network’s special These United States - America at 250, treated the semiquincentennial as a reminder that national strain has long been part of the country’s story.

Brinkley pointed to the Continental Congress vote for independence on July 2, 1776, in Philadelphia’s Independence Hall, when the colonies were still split over slavery and the war with Britain was still raging. He used that moment to argue that calls for unity are not naïve, because the country has already survived founding-era disputes and later national crises that tested its political and civic fabric. Brinkley is a best-selling author, a professor of history at Rice University and CNN’s presidential historian.

The 250th anniversary itself is officially set for July 4, 2026, 250 years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Congress established the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission in 2016 to plan the observance, and the commission says it is working with America250.org, Inc. on a “350 for 250” effort aimed at engaging all 350 million Americans by the milestone. Former U.S. Treasurer Rosie Rios chairs the nonpartisan commission.

The Library of Congress describes the semiquincentennial as part of a broader set of national, state and local initiatives and serves as a partner agency in the effort. Organizers have framed the observance as the largest anniversary celebration in the country’s history, with public-private partnerships, volunteer campaigns and branded commemorations already underway.

The buildup has also brought confusion over parallel 250th-anniversary efforts, including a separate White House-connected Freedom 250 campaign. That overlap has turned the coming anniversary into more than a commemorative date: it has become a test of how the country organizes civic memory, who sets the terms of national celebration and how a divided polity marks its own founding.