In celebration of the July 4 holiday, Lucia A. Silecchia, Associate Dean of Faculty Research, published an op-ed in the National Review, proposing ways through which the United States could prepare in advance for the semiquincentennial, or 250th anniversary, of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. Silecchia focuses on three methods—one for each year between now and the semiquincentennial—that can lay the groundwork for a heightened civic engagement in the coming celebration.

National Review
Date: July 4, 2023
By: Lucia Silecchia
Let Independence Day Be an Occasion for a Civic Reawakening

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Independence Day 2023 brings the United States within three years of its 250th anniversary—a milestone for which there is woeful under-preparation. In contrast to the multi-year Bicentennial celebration of 1976, the approaching 250th anniversary has garnered little attention. Yes, a national Semiquincentennial Commission is making plans, and state and local governments are following suit. Yet the broader culture and popular arena are not yet following these plans.

Divisive public discourse and pessimism about the future may explain some of this. A hyper-focus on presentism could also be a factor. Viewing the past superficially, blindly worshiping predecessors as pure heroes or condemning them as pure villains rather than appreciating the complex people they were, might also be to blame.

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