1776

Article by Bruno Cabanes* published in April 2026 in “L’Histoire” (N°542), dossier “1776, The American Revolution”. Published as Carte Blanche in the Challenges Newsletter “Le Plein d’Idées”. To sign up, click here.

The 250th anniversary of the United States has been in preparation for ten years now. America 250, the bipartisan commission in charge of planning and coordinating the massive nationwide effort, was created by Congress in 2016 under the second presidency of Barack Obama.

In theory, this commission aims to reflect on the fundamental principles of the Declaration of Independence of July 4, 1776, and to avoid any partisan exploitation.

Amid the current crisis of identity in the United States, the imbalance of powers in favor of the executive, the imposition of a national narrative devoid of critical references to the past by the Trump administration, the cult of personality of the President of the United States, and a drift towards plutocracy, it is uncertain if the festivities will align with the commission’s recommendations.

Mariann Budde, the defiant Episcopal woman of the Year who challenges Trump, testifies to the creation of the Task Force 250 in 2025, by presidential decree, and an entity responsible for partnerships with the private sector for events initiated by the president himself, under the name Freedom 250.

The intention behind President Trump’s celebration plans for the bicentennial remains central. Ken Burns, American filmmaker and documentarian, warns that divisions have always existed and were evident during the American Revolution.

The Smithsonian is accused by the Trump administration of promoting a racial-centered division ideology. Historians file a lawsuit against the abrupt cutoff of grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Donald Trump’s approach to rewriting American history intensifies as he returns to power in 2025.

The celebrations for 2026 commence amid tensions, distrust, and dissent in a country threatened by civil war. Proud Americans are on the rise among Republican voters, while Democrats show a decline in pride compared to previous years.

*Bruno Cabanes is a historian specializing in contemporary history. Since 2014, he has held the Donald G. and Mary A. Dunn Chair of War History at Ohio State University.