UK marks America 250 with events reflecting shared history

A rare Dunlap broadside printed on the night of July 4, 1776, is helping Britain mark the semiquincentennial of American independence. America250UK and its partners are using 2026 to reflect on the transatlantic relationship, with Sulgrave Manor, the ancestral home of George Washington, part of the programme.

In January, Speaker Mike Johnson addressed MPs and peers at the UK Parliament after an invitation from Sir Lindsay Hoyle. Hoyle said the two countries have moved “from adversaries to close allies” and pointed to their defence ties and common role in NATO. The ceremony echoed 1976, when Speaker George Thomas invited Carl Albert to mark the 200th anniversary of American independence.

The National Archives has opened a free exhibition at Kew, Revolution 250: America’s Independence Story 1763-1783, running from 24 June to 29 November 2026. The show includes original maps, correspondence, first-hand accounts and a rare original Dunlap broadside, the handbill printed on the night of 4 July 1776 that carried the Declaration of Independence into the world. The exhibition also includes material on Indigenous peoples, Black Loyalists and enslaved persons.

In Bath, the American Museum & Gardens is displaying another rare 1776 Dunlap printing of the Declaration of Independence from 16 June to 6 September 2026. Only 26 Dunlap copies survive worldwide, and the Bath copy is the only known example intercepted by British forces and later annotated by British government officials. As part of its America 250 programme, the museum is offering £2.50 admission on selected weekdays in July.

Northern Ireland is part of the commemorations through USA-NI:250, a programme built around concerts, exhibitions, cultural showcases and theatre productions. During a two-day visit in November 2025, the America250 Commission formally recognised the region’s special role.

The main anniversary falls on 4 July 2026, with the national effort led by the bipartisan Semiquincentennial Commission and America250.org, Inc.