250 and Beyond is a monthly newsletter that is sent to AASLH members each month, and will be published through June of this year. Become a member to receive future issues of the newsletter.
Why I’m Still Excited about the U.S. 250th
By John Garrison Marks, Vice President of Research & Engagement
We’ve officially arrived in 2026, the U.S. Semiquincentennial year. If you’ve only just begun to think about the 250th anniversary, you’d be forgiven for thinking things are off track. But despite all the chaos in the history world lately, I’m still excited about the 250th—and you should be too.
There’s no denying the past year has been a tough one for the history community, as we’ve had to contend with political interference, financial uncertainty, and an increasingly fraught public conversation about our work.
If you’ve been following headlines related to the 250th, you’ve probably seen reports about some White House plans for 2026, which tend to emphasize show over substance: a UFC fight on the White House lawn, a monumental arch, a high-school athletic competition, and an IndyCar race on the National Mall. Paired with growing efforts to distort or sanitize history at federal museums and historic sites, it’s understandable how some might think the 250th will be a shallow spectacle—or worse, a political project aimed at promoting an exclusive, inaccurate vision of American history and society.
Yet the work of federal planners only scratches the surface of what we’ll see in 2026. Indeed, much of the most consequential 250th work is unfolding at the grassroots level, organized by state 250th commissions or carried out by individual museums in their communities. It’s these efforts that are giving me continued hope about what this anniversary will be.
Take the state commissions, for example. Every state and territory has its own 250th commission, and many of them have been preparing for years to produce thoughtful, inclusive, history-forward commemorations. Collectively, these state commissions have already awarded millions of dollars in grants, specifically designed to help small museums, historical societies, tribal organizations, and community groups participate meaningfully in the anniversary.
Other promising state projects abound. In Ohio, for example, the state is giving every fourth grader free access to museums and historic sites. New Jersey launched a statewide series of “tavern talks” connecting residents directly with historians and interpreters in informal, community-centered settings. Colorado has rolled out a digital passport program, a climb of the state’s highest mountain peaks, and a film series exploring the state’s past and present.
New state history museums are opening as well—projects planned years ago with 2026 in mind. Montana’s new state history museum has already opened. Utah’s first-ever state history museum will open this summer. The Maine State Museum will reopen this fall after extensive renovations, with Wisconsin’s following in 2027.
At the same time, many major museums have completed—or are completing—transformational projects timed to the 250th. The National Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta recently reopened following a major expansion. George Washington’s Mount Vernon has reopened its mansion after the most ambitious preservation effort in its history. The Museum of the American Revolution and the National Archives Museum have both debuted major new exhibitions. There is going to be an extraordinary amount of substantive, challenging, and genuinely exciting history on view.
The tensions of this anniversary aren’t without precedent. In 1976, widespread objections to the Bicentennial’s overly celebratory and commercial tone sparked a wave of counter-commemorations which sought to find other ways to share our whole history. As part of that effort, communities across the country established thousands of new museums and historical organizations to ensure their histories were preserved and told. Although we may not see the creation of new museums this time around, recent efforts from the current administration to whitewash history at National Park Service sites and elsewhere may spark a similar grassroots effort to tell the full American story.
In the nearly nine years I’ve been helping organizations prepare for this anniversary, I have continually reminded history practitioners that the narrow, founders-only, celebratory version of the 250th we’re seeing from the White House was always going to be part of this anniversary. But here’s what’s crucial for us to remember: if we collectively shrug, disengage, or abandon the commemoration altogether, that’s the only version we’ll be left with.
There are more than 21,000 history organizations in this country. Many of them are working right now to ensure that 2026 includes serious, complex, and meaningful history. I’m perpetually encouraged by the work they are doing and their efforts to ensure the American public encounters full, honest, and thoughtful history programming for this anniversary.
As we approach July 4, we’d be well served to remember that no one organization, no single person owns this anniversary. No one gets to dictate what it should mean or how we should commemorate it.
From everything I’ve seen and done, I still believe the 250th can be a transformative moment for how Americans understand history and its relevance today. I’m still committed to this work—and I hope you are too.
Are you interested in having John or other AASLH staff come speak about this issue to your staff, leadership team, board, or audience? Contact [email protected] to get in touch.
