In 2026, just three years from now, we will commemorate the United States Semiquincentennial and the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
The Library of Congress, along with other Federal agencies, will be taking part in this commemoration. We’ll be sharing our great collections and insights from our incredible staff, and inviting you to rediscover the Library of Congress for yourself.
In the lead-up to this milestone, the America250 Commission has launched America’s Invitation, a nationwide campaign for all Americans to share stories and hopes and dreams for our future.
America’s Invitation is an opportunity for Americans across the country, from every background, to take part in reflecting on our past and looking to the future by sharing their stories, and the things they love about America, as we continue to strive for “a more perfect union.”
Taking part in America’s Invitation is easy — visit stories.america250.org to share photos, videos, artwork, essays, songs, poems, or anything else that highlights what America means to you and how you hope to commemorate this milestone. This content may be showcased by America250 on its website, in videos, on social media, and more. Together, these contributions will highlight what makes America unique and ensure we are building a commemoration that includes all of us.
For some inspiration, you might enjoy this “From the Vaults” episode about the Dunlap Broadside, the first printing of the Declaration of Independence that was printed throughout the night of July 4, 1776. This is how the text of the Declaration was first sent out into the world:
And if you’re looking for more about the history of the Declaration of independence, we have you covered.
Over the next three years, America250 will continue to host commemorative events across the country. To learn more, visit America250.org, and follow the Commission on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
Comments (13)
It will be a great moment of United States of America ( 250)
God bless USA 😍🥰🇺🇸🇺🇸the land who I love ❤️
USA 250th anniversary. I pray, all Americans will appreciate the freedom we have. All Americans respect each other. All Americans wether born here or transplanted here remember it is a great privilege to be free in this great country! May there be another 250 years!
Looking forward to the celebration! Quick question – is semiquincentennial capitalized?
I’m a British Artist/Art curator, I have a long standing relationship with America, visiting many times and having lived in NJ during the 1990’s. Between 2020-22 I helped organise and co -curated a Transatlantic exhibition with a Gallery in NJ that showcased US/UK Artists in an exhibition called ‘Twenty 20’which visited both sides of the Atlantic (if you head to mountfordart -dot-com and then the ‘Projects’ section you will find lots of material on this show ).
The point being we are in the early stages of planning another joint venture to tie in with 2026 Semiquinentennial celebrations and would love to make contact with anyone who might be interested in this venture. You can contact me via the website alluded to above
Pete Mountford
My father took me for my first trip to DC in 1976 for the Bicentennial. I’m already working on plans to take my grandchildren for the Semiquintennial. I hope it will be as memorable for them as my trip was for me.
My little Town has the Declaration read, publically, in the Town Square, three time during each Independence Day. It should be done in every Town and City across the Nation. We are very happy this celebration is getting close and Philipsburg Montana will CELEBRATE!!
Freedom for all forever – 1776-2026
If we don’t know our history, where we came from, how can we determine our direction? How do we measure our progress?
The famous mathematician Andrey Nikolaevich Kolmogorov defines cybernetics as the “science concerned with the study of systems of any nature which are capable of receiving, storing, and processing information so as to use it for control.”
God bless you, fellow Americans, and God bless the United States of America.
Please give The United Slaves of Amerika back to the United Kingdom!
One of the great things about looking back at our history is discovering key players who may have been overlooked. For example, Stephen G. Moylan, an aide to Washington at Cambridge in the early days of the war, wrote a letter to Spain seeking support for the revolution. In that letter, for the first time in recorded history, he uses the name “United States of America.” The letter is documented by the New York Historical Society.
We are so looking forward to another celebration of the greatness of the American idea and the reality. Our immigrant ancestors (from Ireland and Norway) loved these commemorations and so do we.