The story behind the America 250 Project

From the desk Mike Rusher, President of The Results Company

Thank you for joining again this Saturday morning, kicking off one of the liveliest holiday periods of the year. Let’s take a little detour today to talk about the latest Presidential debate…  Just kidding.  

Times like these should give us pause to stop and remember what makes America the best in the world. Yes, this Fourth of July we’ll stop, commemorate the events leading up to the signing of the Declaration of Independence, and celebrate once again our Nation’s founding. Yet in 734 days (in 2026), we’ll celebrate our Country’s 250th Independence Day. 

This column kicks off July 4th week, and part two will bring a thoughtful and challenging analysis of American resilience on Thursday from Chuck Fuller that you will not want to miss. 

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July 4th, 2026 will mark two milestones in what is without question the greatest experiment in self-governance the world has ever seen. First, and by far most importantly, it’s the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Second, it will mark ten full years of formal preparation for that anniversary. Here’s what that means.

In 2016 Congress passed, and then-President Barack Obama signed, the United States Semiquincentennial Commission Act of 2016. The measure, sponsored by former Republican Rep. Pat Meethan (R-PA), created the Semiquincentennial Commission (we’ll just call it the Commission from here). The law authorized the Commission to “provide for the observance and commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States and related events through local, state, national, and international activities. . .”

So began a decade’s worth of planning, logistics, and collaboration that continues daily. The Commission and its sister organization, the America250 Foundation, hope to use the anniversary  to “inspire Americans to renew and strengthen our daring experiment in democracy.”

North Carolina’s chapter of the America250 project is housed in the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. They’ve begun aggregating stories and artifacts central to North Carolina’s role in the American Revolution. In 2026, they intend to focus on “two interpretive concepts to explore our past, present, and future: Revolutionary NC (the historical events of the Revolution and NC) and When Are We US? (an exploration of the ideas of freedom, civic responsibility, overcoming challenges, and change as we lean into the ideals of democracy).”

But the 2026 event will also answer a question I wonder about: Can the world’s oldest continuous democracy even unite to celebrate its 250th birthday?

A few years ago I had an opportunity to view President George Bush’s ‘Out of Many, One: Portraits of America’s Immigrants’ project and at the time seemed to notice (or hoped for) a bit of a resurgence of our Nation’s motto. The number of stories of inspiring journeys of immigrants and their contributions to the life and prosperity of our Nation over the last 200+ years would fill an ocean. 

This, “Out of Many, One” – seems as out of reach today, at least in some corners, compared to when Congress adopted it in 1782. Some believe their standard-bearer is the target of a corrupt class weaponizing the nation’s institutions to deny him power. Others believe their political rival, if victorious, may be America’s last democratically-elected president. I’d say most Americans fall in between those two poles, uneasy about what comes next.

My own uneasiness comes from the decrepit public confidence that America’s reporters and politicians act in any sort of responsible, country-first manner. Look at just about any measure of societal health, and you’ll find cause for worry.

But even when things seem dire, a society like ours has a way of self-correcting. That’s the very basis for our governing framework: Actions invite reactions. Mistakes invite new paths forward. Failed leaders invite new leadership.

This give-and-take has long been a feature of the American system. We’re a bunch of people mixed together from different religions, countries, and cultures – perfect harmony was never in the cards. It’s our spirit, not our opinions, that binds us. Perhaps America250 will remind us of that – and how far we’ve come. 

That’s what I will be thinking about at each exploding signal, booming into colorful blooms in the night sky next week. 

Whether you are gathering with friends and family or taking it easy this week – trade some stories, clank some glasses and ask yourself: Is this something worth celebrating? If you can find optimism in the present, it means you have hope for the future.

And if you do, then others do, too.