As the United States nears its 250th anniversary, celebrations are already taking shape across the country.
But for some Americans, the milestone brings a more complicated question: what is there to celebrate at a time marked by political division in the Middle East and with immigration enforcement.
Gardnerville resident Anna Maria Colletti remembers the nation’s Bicentennial in 1976 clearly. She described it as a moment filled with energy and national pride, something she said feels noticeably absent today.
“But when the Bicentennial happened, it was a big deal. There were insignias… we talked about the spirit of ’76,” Colletti said.
She was 17 years old at the time, and like many Americans, recalls a shared sense of excitement. Still, the period was far from stable.
The country was grappling with the aftermath of the Vietnam War, the Watergate scandal, and a closely contested presidential election.
“There was a lot of feeling back then that things were going to get better,” she said. “And that is not a feeling that I can honestly feel right now.”
For Colletti, that loss of optimism stands out most. For her, it is also deeply personal. She remembers a high school friend, an exchange student from Iran.
“She was full of joy, full of excitement… she was graduating, and she was going to go back to Iran,” Colletti said. “And here we are now with what is going on… that is very sad to me that we haven’t evolved into a better place.”
She said experiences like that shape how she views the upcoming anniversary, especially as global tensions continue to shape everyday life.
Historians noted the Bicentennial was not as unified as it may appear in hindsight.
Tim Borstelmann, a history professor emeritus at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, said 1976 came during a period of deep national strain.
“You might think about the context of 1976,” Borstelmann said. “The civil rights movement, women’s rights, and the counterculture created a kind of social crisis.”
That uncertainty extended to national leadership and led local communities to take a more active role in shaping celebrations.
“Many communities used the Bicentennial to leave a lasting mark, building monuments, museums, and exhibits that people still visit today,” he said.
That localized approach helped create a sense of participation, even during a turbulent time.
For Colletti, that kind of energy is hard to find now.
“I didn’t even know, honestly,” she said. “I had not seen a whole lot of hype about it versus what I remember.”
Still, she believes the anniversary holds value, especially if it reflects the full breadth of the country’s identity.
“It should be a culture of inclusion and not exclusion,” Colletti said. “We’re all Americans, and we all have contributed.”
As the nation approaches its 250th year, the questions may not just be how to celebrate, but whether Americans can still find shared meaning in the moment.
