{"id":479,"date":"2026-07-01T21:12:07","date_gmt":"2026-07-01T21:12:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/americanindustryreview.com\/?p=479"},"modified":"2026-07-01T21:12:07","modified_gmt":"2026-07-01T21:12:07","slug":"states-at-heart-of-the-revolution-plan-250th-events-sans-trump","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/americanindustryreview.com\/?p=479","title":{"rendered":"States at heart of the Revolution plan 250th events sans Trump"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Donald Trump may have taken over events in Washington around the nation\u2019s 250th birthday, but the president is far removed from most activities in the states that have been part of America from the beginning \u2014 the 13 original colonies stretching from New Hampshire to Georgia.<\/p>\n

Read more When Washington politicians can\u2019t go home again<\/a><\/p>\n

Among the thousands of events planned in those states to commemorate the adoption of the Declaration of Independence, most avoid partisan politics and many celebrate diversity and acknowledge past struggles for equal rights, in contrast to the more sanitized vision of America promoted by the White House, a CQ Roll Call survey of the 13 states found.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are very apolitical. It\u2019s just the facts, just the facts,\u201d said Molly Fortune, CEO of South Carolina\u2019s planning organization, SC250. \u201cSome facts are ugly, some facts are awful, and some facts are just what they are. So we in South Carolina recognize that it\u2019s complicated and complex, and we want to have those conversations.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI hear it over and over again. People say, \u2018I can\u2019t get into this. I can\u2019t get excited about this. I\u2019m turned off,\u2019\u201d said Michele W. Johnson, director of the Maryland 250 Commission. \u201cYou know what I say to them, whether they\u2019re in Maryland or they\u2019re in another state? I say to all of them, look at what your state 250 commission is doing. The states are doing this semiquincentennial commemoration as it was intended to be.\u201d<\/p>\n

All U.S. states and territories have groups that began with the congressionally chartered America250 commission, officially the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission, and have met regularly with leaders of the bipartisan organization and its staff since Congress established it in 2016.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Most of the planning groups in the original 13 colonies, in interviews and emails and on their websites, credit America250 for getting things started in their states. That\u2019s separate from the White House partnership, Freedom 250, funded by donations from Trump supporters and some of the $150 million included in the Republicans\u2019 \u201cbig, beautiful\u201d budget reconciliation law enacted a year ago.<\/p>\n

Freedom 250\u2019s signature event around the Fourth of July, The Great American State Fair on the National Mall, was snubbed by a number of states, including Connecticut, Massachusetts, North Carolina and Rhode Island. The organizers persuaded private donors and businesses from those states to step in, but controversy erupted last week when it was reported that an image of a Confederate flag was displayed at the North Carolina exhibit, leading to some departures.<\/p>\n

Most states and local groups planning 250th anniversary events have tried to avoid the partisan politics that have infused events in Washington and have emphasized inclusion and diversity \u2014 two words being eliminated from the government lexicon by the Trump administration.<\/p>\n

The central theme of 250 events in Massachusetts is participation, said Abigail Phillips, director of communications at the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism.<\/p>\n

\u201cMassachusetts believes it is possible to celebrate the ideals of the American Revolution while telling a fuller and more inclusive history,\u201d Phillips said via email. \u201cUltimately, MA250 is about bringing people together around a shared history, shared values, and a shared future.\u201d<\/p>\n

The No. 1 goal of New Jersey\u2019s 250 organization, RevolutionNJ, is: \u201cTell a diverse and inclusive story about America\u2019s past that invites participation from all New Jerseyans,\u201d according to its website.<\/p>\n

\u201cNew Jersey has been for hundreds of years a very diverse place with people here from various parts of the world and also indigenous tribes,\u201d said Sara Cureton, executive director of the New Jersey Historical Commission.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThat was one of the most warmly embraced ideas that we talked about with community members,\u201d Cureton said. \u201cPeople from all parts of the state really wanted to hear stories about everyone.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u2018Opportunity for unity\u2019<\/h2>\n

Similarly, the top theme of 250 planning in Connecticut is \u201cTell Inclusive Stories,\u201d according to its website.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have stories that appeal to all sides of the political spectrum, from people whose families date back to the 1600s here in Connecticut and people who might have arrived in Connecticut in the 1980s or 1990s,\u201d said Cyndi Tolosa, project manager for America 250 Connecticut.<\/p>\n

Read more SCOTUS term marked by shifts to the right, some checks to Trump<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cWe have the founding fathers \u2014 that\u2019s an important part of the story \u2014 but immigrants to the United States are also an important part,\u201d Tolosa said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In Pennsylvania, \u201cOur focus has been on educating, preserving, innovating, and celebrating while helping communities tell their own stories,\u201d said Kasey Elliott, digital and communications manager for America250PA, in an email. \u201cThe response has been tremendous. We\u2019ve worked alongside partners in all 67 counties.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOur department has worked in coordination with local, state, and federal partners to develop a commemoration that celebrates North Carolina\u2019s First in Freedom legacy and empowers all North Carolinians to engage with 250 years of our rich, diverse history,\u201d said Michele Walker, assistant communications director for the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, also via email. \u201cEvery corner of our state has been involved.\u201d<\/p>\n

Georgia\u2019s 250 commission is also working with local and county groups in both the public and private sectors to plan events, wrote Cayla Cardwell, communications manager for the state Department of Economic Development. \u201cThis way, each participating community\/organization is able to choose how they observe this occasion.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is an opportunity for unity,\u201d said Johnson, the Maryland 250 organizer. \u201cSo many people have said to me, \u2018I just can\u2019t get into this,\u2019 but again, my message to everybody who says that is, we\u2019ve got some great things going on in the state of Maryland and in other states. Look to the states, look to the local communities.\u201d<\/p>\n

A \u2018weaker\u2019 Park Service?<\/h2>\n

Alan Spears, senior director of cultural resources at the National Parks Conservation Association \u2014 the biggest advocacy group for the national parks \u2014 said he attended an event last month at southern Maryland\u2019s Thomas Stone National Historic Site, which honors one of the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence. He was joined by Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., Piscataway Conoy Tribal Chairman Francis Gray and representatives of the National Park Service to plant a tree grown with DNA from the original Liberty Tree.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat made me very hopeful,\u201d Spears said. \u201cIt is at the hands of national heritage areas, local preservation groups, local activists, I think, to really bring about history that is accurate, just, inclusive, fun and aimed at bringing people together. We don\u2019t seem to have that at the federal level, right? We\u2019re missing an opportunity, I think, because of that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Executive and secretarial orders from the Trump administration titled \u201cRestoring Truth and Sanity to American History\u201d have dampened the Park Service\u2019s involvement in 250th celebrations, after decades of working closely with historic preservation groups \u201cto kind of root out these elements of our shared national narrative,\u201d Spears said.<\/p>\n

\u201cNobody wants to get transferred to the Seychelles for anything that gets regarded by the administration as being too leaning in the direction of diversity, equity and inclusion,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

So with the Park Service \u201ca little bit weaker and unsteady,\u201d Spears said, state, tribal and local groups are \u201cgaining some strength and moving into that void, which is unfortunate, but it\u2019s great that these people can be there and take over preservation of our shared history.\u201d<\/p>\n

The 250th celebrations will continue in most states well beyond the Fourth of July.<\/p>\n

One of New Jersey\u2019s main events will be an annual reenactment of George Washington leading his troops across the Delaware River at Christmas in 1776, said Cureton. \u201cIt changed the course of the war,\u201d she noted.<\/p>\n

And South Carolina\u2019s commemorations will continue until 2033, the 250th anniversary of the Treaty of Paris that ended the Revolutionary War, said Fortune.<\/p>\n

Read more DeGette, Bennet lose primaries in Colorado amid insurgent wave<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Donald Trump may have taken over events in Washington around the nation\u2019s 250th birthday, but the president is far removed from most activities in the states that have been part of America from the beginning \u2014 the 13 original colonies stretching from New Hampshire to Georgia. Among the thousands of events planned in those states […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":478,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-479","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-heard-on-the-hill"],"yoast_head":"\nStates at heart of the Revolution plan 250th events sans Trump - American Industry Review<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/americanindustryreview.com\/?p=479\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"States at heart of the Revolution plan 250th events sans Trump - American Industry Review\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Donald Trump may have taken over events in Washington around the nation\u2019s 250th birthday, but the president is far removed from most activities in the states that have been part of America from the beginning \u2014 the 13 original colonies stretching from New Hampshire to Georgia. Among the thousands of events planned in those states […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/americanindustryreview.com\/?p=479\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"American Industry Review\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-07-01T21:12:07+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/americanindustryreview.com\\\/?p=479#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/americanindustryreview.com\\\/?p=479\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"admin\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/americanindustryreview.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/f31b66192ea99275704b1c4c1195d2bd\"},\"headline\":\"States at heart of the Revolution plan 250th events sans Trump\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-07-01T21:12:07+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/americanindustryreview.com\\\/?p=479\"},\"wordCount\":1319,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/americanindustryreview.com\\\/?p=479#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/americanindustryreview.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/484b6ffbdf16276f147de9b8ae078dac.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Heard on the Hill\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/americanindustryreview.com\\\/?p=479#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/americanindustryreview.com\\\/?p=479\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/americanindustryreview.com\\\/?p=479\",\"name\":\"States at heart of the Revolution plan 250th events sans Trump - American Industry Review\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/americanindustryreview.com\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/americanindustryreview.com\\\/?p=479#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/americanindustryreview.com\\\/?p=479#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/americanindustryreview.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/484b6ffbdf16276f147de9b8ae078dac.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-07-01T21:12:07+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/americanindustryreview.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/f31b66192ea99275704b1c4c1195d2bd\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/americanindustryreview.com\\\/?p=479#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/americanindustryreview.com\\\/?p=479\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/americanindustryreview.com\\\/?p=479#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/americanindustryreview.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/484b6ffbdf16276f147de9b8ae078dac.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/americanindustryreview.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/484b6ffbdf16276f147de9b8ae078dac.jpg\",\"width\":1620,\"height\":1080,\"caption\":\"UNITED STATES - JUNE 15: Fireworks are seen over the National Mall after the UFC Freedom 250 event at the White House early Monday morning, June 15, 2026. (Tom Williams\\\/CQ Roll Call)\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/americanindustryreview.com\\\/?p=479#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/americanindustryreview.com\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"States at heart of the Revolution plan 250th events sans Trump\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/americanindustryreview.com\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/americanindustryreview.com\\\/\",\"name\":\"American Industry Review\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/americanindustryreview.com\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/americanindustryreview.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/f31b66192ea99275704b1c4c1195d2bd\",\"name\":\"admin\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"admin\"},\"sameAs\":[\"http:\\\/\\\/americanindustryreview.com\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/americanindustryreview.com\\\/?author=1\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"States at heart of the Revolution plan 250th events sans Trump - American Industry Review","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/americanindustryreview.com\/?p=479","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"States at heart of the Revolution plan 250th events sans Trump - American Industry Review","og_description":"Donald Trump may have taken over events in Washington around the nation\u2019s 250th birthday, but the president is far removed from most activities in the states that have been part of America from the beginning \u2014 the 13 original colonies stretching from New Hampshire to Georgia. Among the thousands of events planned in those states […]","og_url":"https:\/\/americanindustryreview.com\/?p=479","og_site_name":"American Industry Review","article_published_time":"2026-07-01T21:12:07+00:00","author":"admin","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"admin","Est. reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/americanindustryreview.com\/?p=479#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/americanindustryreview.com\/?p=479"},"author":{"name":"admin","@id":"https:\/\/americanindustryreview.com\/#\/schema\/person\/f31b66192ea99275704b1c4c1195d2bd"},"headline":"States at heart of the Revolution plan 250th events sans Trump","datePublished":"2026-07-01T21:12:07+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/americanindustryreview.com\/?p=479"},"wordCount":1319,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/americanindustryreview.com\/?p=479#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/americanindustryreview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/484b6ffbdf16276f147de9b8ae078dac.jpg","articleSection":["Heard on the Hill"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/americanindustryreview.com\/?p=479#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/americanindustryreview.com\/?p=479","url":"https:\/\/americanindustryreview.com\/?p=479","name":"States at heart of the Revolution plan 250th events sans Trump - American Industry Review","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/americanindustryreview.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/americanindustryreview.com\/?p=479#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/americanindustryreview.com\/?p=479#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/americanindustryreview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/484b6ffbdf16276f147de9b8ae078dac.jpg","datePublished":"2026-07-01T21:12:07+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/americanindustryreview.com\/#\/schema\/person\/f31b66192ea99275704b1c4c1195d2bd"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/americanindustryreview.com\/?p=479#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/americanindustryreview.com\/?p=479"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/americanindustryreview.com\/?p=479#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/americanindustryreview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/484b6ffbdf16276f147de9b8ae078dac.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/americanindustryreview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/484b6ffbdf16276f147de9b8ae078dac.jpg","width":1620,"height":1080,"caption":"UNITED STATES - JUNE 15: Fireworks are seen over the National Mall after the UFC Freedom 250 event at the White House early Monday morning, June 15, 2026. (Tom Williams\/CQ Roll Call)"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/americanindustryreview.com\/?p=479#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/americanindustryreview.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"States at heart of the Revolution plan 250th events sans Trump"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/americanindustryreview.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/americanindustryreview.com\/","name":"American Industry Review","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/americanindustryreview.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/americanindustryreview.com\/#\/schema\/person\/f31b66192ea99275704b1c4c1195d2bd","name":"admin","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"admin"},"sameAs":["http:\/\/americanindustryreview.com"],"url":"https:\/\/americanindustryreview.com\/?author=1"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/americanindustryreview.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/479","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/americanindustryreview.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/americanindustryreview.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/americanindustryreview.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/americanindustryreview.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=479"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/americanindustryreview.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/479\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/americanindustryreview.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/478"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/americanindustryreview.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=479"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/americanindustryreview.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=479"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/americanindustryreview.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=479"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}