Celebrate the 250th
Celebrating 250 Years of History
On July 4, 2026, our nation will commemorate and celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. This historic milestone is an opportunity to reflect on our nation’s past, honor the contributions of all Americans, and look toward the future we want to create for the next generation and beyond.
Events in the nation’s capital and around the state will mark the occasion.
Wisconsin Historical Society Events & Programs
Michael Witgen
Native Land and the American Revolution
The American colonies were created around the idea of "discovering" the so-called New World—a world that had already long been home to Native peoples. The expansion that followed relied on a system built to recast what was taken as rightful inheritance. Join Michael Witgen, citizen of the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Ojibwe, Professor of History at Columbia University and 2023 Pulitzer Prize finalist of Seeing Red: Indigenous Land, American Expansion, and the Political Economy of Plunder in North America, as he delivers a powerful presentation on the effort to redefine American expansion as peaceful conquest.
250th Resources
Use the resources and publications below to plan your own 250th commemoration. Or check the event listings for a 250th program near you!
The National Constitution Center offers powerful educational tools to help students and citizens engage deeply with the U.S. Constitution.
Interactive Constitution: This nonpartisan, online resource brings the Constitution to life through expert commentary, highlighting areas of agreement and disagreement to spark thoughtful exploration of constitutional issues.
Constitution 101: A 15-unit, self-paced curriculum designed for high school students, providing a foundational understanding of the Constitution’s text, history, structure and key Supreme Court cases.
Primary Source Libraries: With over 170 historic texts in the Founders’ Library and landmark decisions in the Supreme Court Library students can examine America’s founding principles through a range of perspectives. Each module includes in-depth classroom materials, with a separate version available for adult learners.
America’s Town Hall programs is a series about constitutional issues in the news, available for free online.
Serve Wisconsin
Need volunteers to plan your 250th event? Post your volunteer opportunity through Serve Wisconsin.
Serve Wisconsin is Wisconsin’s National and Community Service Board.
America250 is proud to partner with Good Neighbor Day America. On Saturday, May 16, we’re challenging Americans everywhere to commit 250 acts of kindness in a single day — and prove that the spirit that has carried this nation for 250 years is alive and well.
America at 250 highlights history & biographies, events, artifacts & objects, favorites from digital studios, and more from PBS!
Connect and Reflect on America@250 with PBS Wisconsin!
Community Conversation Guide - PBS Wisconsin, Wisconsin Public Radio and America@250 Initiative partners are inviting libraries, faith communities, organizations, and individuals from across Wisconsin to host an America@250 Community Conversation using the downloadable guide found here.
The Wisconsin Civic Learning Coalition brings together stakeholders from across the state to strengthen nonpartisan civics and government education in schools.
The Jack Miller Center is building a diverse civics coalition of scholars, K-12 educators, and civic education leaders to revive America’s founding principles and history for millions of students nationwide.
Wisconsin Veteran Cemeteries Memorial Events
New WVM exhibit materials at each location
Memorial Day Weekend
The DAR America 250! Patriot Market project
The American Revolution Experience
Highground Veterans Memorial Park and Museum | May 17th - May 26th, 2026
Join the Waitlist for Traveling Exhibit or View the Online Exhibit
Still planning for the 250th? Explore all the resources we have to offer including logos, brand guidelines, media templates, and the AASLH guides. The AASLH offers a field guide available in English and Spanish language versions as well as a handbook of program examples.
250th Logos and Brand Guidelines:
America250 Branding Guidelines
Marketing Templates to promote your local event:
American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) Guides
Making History at 250: The Field Guide for the Semiquincentennial
Spanish Language Version: La Guía de Campo para el Semiquincentenario
250th Time Capsule
Wisconsin and other states have contributed to a time capsule, which will be buried at Independence Park in Philadelphia on July 4, 2026, and will remain sealed for 250 years as an enduring gift from today’s Americans to future generations.
Learn MoreEducational Resources
Each month the Society Educator Newsletter will feature a “Doing History” section with objects or archival assets connected to early American history plus a historical investigation guide.
America 250: Teacher Resources
Museum of the American Revolution
Colonial Williamsburg
Educating for American Democracy Roadmap
National Park Service
America 250: America’s Field Trip
VA250 Teacher Resources
Made By Us - Youth250
NCC Interactive Declaration of Independence
NCC America at 250 Civic Toolkit
Get monthly updates about exciting field trips, classroom resources, professional development, and all things history education with the Wisconsin Historical Society!
Wisconsin Historical Society Publications
Edited by Kaminski, Linley, Schoenleber, Moore, Danforth, Cohan, Biermeier, Berry, Chattopadhyay, and Hoefs. A partnership of the Center for the Study of the American Constitution at the University of Wisconsin Madison and the Society Press.
This remarkable forty-one volume series concludes with the final volume in the Bill of Rights series.
Wisconsin Magazine of History
Celebrate America's 250th and Old World Wisconsin's 50th! A former curator reflects on her years at Old World; a soldier's 1776 diary reveals life behind the lines; a powder horn proclaims "Liberty or Death"; and Civil War envelopes revive the spirit of the American Revolution.
What is the
Wisconsin America250 Commission?
Wisconsin America250, also known as A250WI, is a state-level commission was established by the 2021 Wisconsin Act 95. The purpose of the commission is to plan, coordinate, and implement a program to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, and to specifically highlight the role of Wisconsin in that event and the impact of its people on the nation's past, present and future. A250WI is the state-level partner of the National Commission, America250.
Learn More
