Civics and America’s 250th birthday

As we mark Independence Day in 2025, we are just a year out from the nation’s 250^th birthday—a quarter millennium since the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the birth of the United States of America. The Declaration stands as a civic covenant binding us together; implicit in the occasion we celebrate is the requirement that each generation find a way to renew those bonds.

Put simply, America’s 250^th birthday is a unique opportunity for civic education, both during the celebration itself and in the memories formed by this shared national observance. Community leaders, educators, policymakers, and philanthropists should consider three aspects of this milestone opportunity: its potential as an occasion for meaningful civic ritual, its potential as a teaching moment for transmission of the nation’s history and founding ideals, and its potential as a rally point for a consequential and enduring civics movement. Especially in a moment of political fracture and partisan anger, this moment of reflection on the principles that animate us as a people is an incredible chance to inspire a revived patriotism.

First, the celebration ought to be a renewal of civic ritual—not just of fireworks, barbecues, and Fourth of July parades, but of shared activities and historical observances that remind us of what we hold in common. Americans who recall the Bicentennial in 1976 often describe their memories of the Tall Ships in New York Harbor or the Liberty Train as it made its way across the country. Wonderfully, the Tall Ships will return in 2026—and we should find other ways to spark that kind of wonder. The Semiquincentennial should be an occasion for naturalization ceremonies as well as public readings of the Declaration of Independence. It would be a fitting time for more Americans to fly their flags and even to recover the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance in America’s schools and other public places.

Some may criticize these kinds of rituals for becoming worn out or even go too far and take on dimensions of civil “religion.” But there is also the danger that we lose touch with simple gestures of fidelity to our country. America’s 250^th can help us to find the right balance. The point of these patriotic customs is not to inculcate an unthinking devotion to the state, but rather to inspire a sense of wonder at our republic’s history. Every American citizen is a full participant in that history, and we must all work together to uncover its meaning for ourselves.

Second, and relatedly, the celebration ought to serve as a reminder of our nation’s founding ideals and history. We must be reminded of the meaning and importance of human dignity, freedom, and equality in each generation, especially as those ideals are expressed in the Declaration of Independence. This should be the subject of discussions in America’s classrooms, book clubs, houses of worship, legislative chambers, service clubs, podcasts, and social media feeds in 2026. Whatever else happens in the lead-up to July 4, 2026, we ought to reflect together about the “true meaning of our creed,” as Martin Luther King described it, and then we can find ways “live out” that creed.

It should be an occasion for us to observe and preserve the history of the people who have built our country over 250 years—people of every race, class, and religion, both men and women, as well as those who were born here and those who came here as immigrants. So many extraordinary people have contributed to our American story, whether their names are famous or whether their contributions to their communities and nation have gone without much recognition. The 250^th should be a time when Americans look to historical societies, museums, local newspapers, bookstores, and other keepers of memory to help us appreciate those who came before us in our experiment in self-government.

Finally, there could be no better way to carry on the American creed than to pass it along to the next generation. We need an all-out movement for civic education in our country. As Jeff Sikkenga and David Davenport of the Ashbrook Center write in their recent book A Republic, If We Can Teach It, “[C]ivic education should be an ‘all hands on deck’ project, not just a school curriculum. Civic education needs to be embraced and encouraged in families and civic associations and by government and other leaders in our society. It needs to be understood as a high priority for the nation, embraced and encouraged by everyone. Civic education needs to be ‘caught’ as well as ‘taught.’”

The 250^th anniversary of America should be a moment when state legislators and school board members and other leaders come together across ideological differences to make the teaching of our shared political tradition a priority in school curricula. Parents can play a particular role in the renaissance of civics. Lindsay Cormack’s new book “How To Raise a Citizen” provides a useful guide to parents on how to prepare their children for civic life in our country. Few parental responsibilities could be so essential.

America may be a year out from our 250^th birthday, but with the arrival of July 4, 2025 it can fairly be said that we are in our 250^th year. Let’s start the celebration, and let’s make the coming year count for the long-term civic health and preparedness of our country so that we can go on for another 250 years.