Historian says America has survived division before 250th anniversary nears

America250 is preparing a July 3-5 national celebration as the United States nears the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 2026. The commission, created by Congress in 2016, is running a multi-year, nonpartisan effort to reach all 350 million Americans through its “350 for 250” campaign.

Historian Doug Brinkley sees that milestone as a reality check on national despair. He says the country was born in division, not harmony. He points 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.

The freedom declared in 1776 was withheld from women, Black people and Native Americans. Brinkley casts the Civil War and the civil rights era as later tests of whether the republic could survive internal fracture.

The U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission was established by Public Law 114-196 in July 2016 to coordinate the nationwide commemoration. The semiquincentennial is being marked through national, state and local initiatives. America250 is mounting a multi-year, nonpartisan effort to reach all 350 million Americans through its “350 for 250” campaign, while federal Freedom 250 branding carries a more overtly patriotic message.

The State Department will celebrate 250 years of independence and has tied the anniversary to Task Force 250 and a White House video series called “The Story of America.” The White House has also built additional semiquincentennial programming under the Freedom 250 banner, while separate efforts such as “America Prays” and a large Fourth of July event plan show how quickly the anniversary has become a live contest over public memory.