America’s Countdown to 250!

America's Countdown to 250

It’s true. America’s countdown to 250 has begun. With the arrival of July 4th festivities this week, America steps into an important year of celebration and reflection. In 12 short months, we will mark the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the beginning of our bold, beautiful, and often boisterous nation.

In the current climate, the lead-up to our semiquincentennial feels equal parts momentous and fractious. How do we prepare ourselves for this historic milestone? A short answer…crack open a book!

Birthday Blowout

John Adams—himself a signer of the Declaration and a key figure in America’s founding—cracked open a few books in his time. He would remind us to commemorate American Independence with “Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other.”

In fact, the pomp has already begun from sea to shining sea. One important initiative—America250—aims to engage every American in our big birthday celebration. “America’s 250th anniversary is about more than reflecting on our past,” says Rosie Rios, Chair of the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission. “It’s about honoring the contributions of individuals who built this country, the innovations that put this country on the map and a man on the moon, and imagining what the next 250 years might look like for our children and the generations to come.”

Even as we enjoy the hot dogs, fireworks, and parades this week, let’s begin our look forward to next year’s pageantry by pausing to look back. Earlier generations might have said now is the time to “take stock” or assess our situation. How did this grand experiment begin? What conditions made the colonies ripe for revolution? If war was instrumental in bringing disparate people together for a common purpose, what foundational values would hold them together once peace arrived? Indeed, what holds us together today?

Writing for the Public Square plans to examine those and other questions in America’s countdown to 250. Future posts throughout the remainder of 2025 and 2026 will reflect on America’s founding, its context, inflection points, and pivotal figures who dared to try a new way.

Countdown Challenge

The framework for this year-long contemplation will be a Countdown Challenge and an America-at-250 Reading List. Writing for the Public Square has carefully curated a collection of books on the American revolution and founding (one for each month, beginning in July 2025).

The Countdown Challenge? Pick up a book and join the journey! Read along and discover (or re-discover) the story of America’s founding.

Much ink has been spilled on this topic over the past two and half centuries. Many scholars have made the founding of America their life’s work. Consequently, there are many fine works worthy of inclusion on any reading plan that explores America’s early years. This very short list is intended merely to whet the appetite…and hopefully inspire further exploration.

You’ll find a little something for everyone on the list: biographies; classic narratives; new scholarship; patriots, spies and daring-do; faith; and even a peek at the Founding Fathers’ passion for gardening and agriculture (yes, many of them had green thumbs).

At the end of each month, Writing for the Public Square will post an overview with a few observations about the month’s selection. In addition, the Writing for the Public Square Facebook page (click here) will feature other content not found on the blog: interesting trivia, patriotic news-you-can-use, and useful resources to make the Countdown to 250 fun and exciting.

If you have not already signed up for the Writing for the Public Square blog or the Facebook page, do it today! The form to register is to the right of this post. When you sign up, you will receive automatic blog updates via email—never miss an installment. You will also have access to premium content.

And now, for the list!

America at 250 Reading List

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