As fireworks fade and flags are folded after another Independence Day, the United States quietly stepped from its 249th year into its 250th year as a nation. It has been a quarter of a millennium for a republic that is the mightiest nation in human history, but filled with plenty of struggle, triumph, and transformation.
The official semiquincentennial — the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence — will be celebrated on July 4, 2026.
But as of this month, the nation is already begun its 250th year. The calendar has turned and the countdown has begun to what promises to be one of the largest patriotic observances in human history.
From Philadelphia to Fairbanks, preparations will soon be underway. States are forming their own celebration commissions. Cities are mapping out parade routes. Museums are curating exhibitions.
In Alaska, the commission for the 250th anniversary celebration is known as the America250-Alaska Task Force, established by Gov. Mike Dunleavy through Administrative Order No. 357 on Nov. 6, 2024, and designating the Alaska Historical Commission as the coordinating entity. The commission is responsible for planning and organizing events, educational initiatives, and outreach activities to commemorate the semiquincentennial starting next year. The Alaska commission has set the theme for the celebration as “History for Tomorrow,” highlighting opportunity for the next generation.
Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom chairs the commission that has members Jonathon Ross, Wayne Jensen, Judith Bittner, Rebecca Poulson, Givey Kochanowski, Mark Rollins, and two vacancies.
Schools, too, are preparing by drafting curricula to help a new generation understand the founding ideals and complex journey of the American experiment.
In 2026, the Fourth of July will fall on a Saturday, which will be ideal timing for celebrations.
While the biggest events will be July 4, local efforts are already gaining steam.
In Virginia, re-enactors are preparing for a series of Revolutionary War reenactments. In South Dakota, organizers are planning a special Mount Rushmore illumination. In Alaska, conversations are beginning about how to highlight the state’s unique role in the American story and future.
As the country enters this historic chapter, one thing is clear: The celebration doesn’t have to wait.
And, unfortunately, in Anchorage all we’ll have to look forward to will be a bunch of s__theads standing on street corners protesting whatever. Anchorage is a s__thole full of s__theads.
John, do you mean American citizens trying to make America better by using their first amendment rights?
Wahoo, us flag wavers get some recognition… I was smiling until “Schools, too, are preparing by drafting curricula to help a new generation understand the founding ideals and complex journey of the American experiment.” Evil lefties will try to rewrite history.
Read the Declaration of Independence for starters, publicly and often.
Who really rules over us since at least November 1963? What are their names? Until we resolve this- and resolve it fully- we are a captive people and not a functioning Constitutional Republic.
I do wonder if the palliative effect of so many circuses and games and distractions has finally run its course and consciousness has been raised enough to take on this great work?
The Declaration of Independence is not significant solely because it was the Founding Fathers of the United States of America telling the King of England they are no longer his subjects. it is a lot more than that.
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Read and understand the Declaration of Independence. It declares that all men (and before the leftists jump all over me, use of that term meant men, women, and children, not just men.) are not subjects of a self appointed elite individual. It acknowledges that Governments are a necessary evil, but that evil is mitigated when the power of government is based on the individual, not upon who controls the lands.
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It lays out what needs to be done when a government exceeds its authority and becomes destructive to its purpose. The people hold the right to alter the government, but not for meaningless or transitory purposes.
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The signatories of the Declaration did not take that step lightly. They were aware of the consequences of their actions. They were the rich and elite at the time, and they have much to lose, up to and including their lives. Yet, they signed the Declaration anyway. The final line was prophetic for many of them, “And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.”
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We celebrate July 4th to honor those men. To acknowledge their determination to bring forth a nation where every individual is a citizen-king, not a subject. For over 200 years, this Nation stood alone as the only nation founded on the ideal that individuals hold political power, not the elected officials, hired to serve them.
Amen