America’s 250th birthday

America’s 250th birthday

America’s got a big anniversary coming up this year, its 250th - and if countries had birth certificates, the US Declaration of Independence would be theirs. It’s one of the most famous documents in the world and it’s incredibly important to the way the United States of America - arguably the most powerful nation in the world - acts and elects its leaders. So as the US gears up to celebrate its big day, in this Squiz Shortcut, we’ll take you through:

• What’s planned

• How the Declaration of Independence ties in

• And why it’s so important

🙋🏻‍♀️ This newsletter was written by Andrew Williams, Larissa Huntington and Sophie Felice

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Squiz the Shortcut

When is this big anniversary bash happening?
It’s on 4 July which is also known as Independence Day in the US. And in case you missed this factoid in the Squiz Today newsletter, a 250th anniversary is known as a semiquincentennial - so there’s a gem you can drop into conversation at a barbecue this weekend…

So helpful… What’s in store for it?
You might’ve seen in the news that preparations have in full swing - and something to keep in mind is that there are 2 organisations acting as party planners for it. One of them is America250 - it was established by Congress a decade ago to plan nonpartisan (politically neutral) events, and it’s been allocated $150 million in federal funds. 

And the other one…?
US President Donald Trump has created another organisation called Freedom 250 to plan events, but there’s some concern that they’ll be highly politicised. You might’ve heard that some performers boycotted a concert series planned for a Freedom 250 16-day Great American State Fair at the National Mall - that’s a huge long park in Washington DC between the Capitol building and the Lincoln Memorial. 

What went down?
The concerts were cancelled because so many of the artists backed out when they found out it was affiliated with the Trump Administration… But the President says that on the 4th of July, he’ll speak at a rally there instead, and he says it’ll be “the greatest show of all” and it’ll end in a 40-minute fireworks show. But some critics have said the President has inserted himself into the celebrations too much when they should be nonpartisan…

Are there any examples of that?
Critics have pointed to a special ‘patriots’ passport and a commemorative gold coin featuring Trump that are available for sale, and there’s a push to bring out a $250 bank note with his face on it. You might also remember a couple of weeks back the White House hosted a UFC cage fight event on its front lawn - which was a joint 80th birthday bash for Trump, and, well also America. It’s been a whole thing… 

What’s the significance of 4 July?
The reason 4 July is Independence Day is because that’s the day the Congress of the United States adopted the Declaration of Independence - even though it wasn’t actually signed until a few weeks later on 2 August.

And what actually is the Declaration of Independence?
It’s a document essentially announcing that the 13 British colonies in North America on the Atlantic coastline of the country - so Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, those sorts of places - were breaking free and declaring their independence from Great Britain. 

Remind me what led up to it…
History buffs will know that this all came out of the American Revolution, which began in 1775. That was when colonists fought against the British Empire for their right to independence. As the fighting continued, the American colonies made the declaration in 1776, although the revolution - and the conflict - didn’t stop until 1783. And it wasn’t until 1789 that one of the key figures in the American Revolution, George Washington, became the country’s first President.  

And why was it so important to declare independence?
There was the obvious symbolic part, but that wasn’t all - there were practical reasons to make the declaration as well… America had a strong ally during this time in the French, and in order to receive as much aid as possible from their French friends, the Americans needed to declare independence from the British.

Who helped to create it?
A group of men, many of them famous names even to us here in Oz, were tasked with putting it together. Some you’ll have heard of - names like Thomas Jefferson, John Adams and Benjamin Franklin… You might’ve heard them referred to as the ‘founding fathers’… Two of them - Jefferson and Adams - would go on to be President. Fun fact: Franklin is such a famous name that many Americans think he was also President, but he never actually was. 

Who wrote the first draft?
The main author of the document was Jefferson, and it includes the very famous line that “we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal”... Once the final text was agreed, it was sent to Congress for final approval, and it got changed a bit. One notable amendment was that the original text denounced the African slave trade, but some of the delegates objected to that and took it out. 

What was its impact?
The finished document was signed in August of 1776 and it had a huge influence around the world, inspiring many other revolutionaries. Historians point to it as the first time a whole people formally asserted their right to a government of their own choice. It played a huge part in founding the nation, and even though Americans will be out in droves celebrating their 250th this weekend, the milestone comes at a time of major division.

Just explain that a bit more…
Polls show that in Trump’s second term, Americans are more divided than ever between Democrats/Republicans, red states/blue states, and on issues of immigration, health and many other elements of society... But analysts and historians say they also have a great deal to look back on with pride in 250 years of independence, particularly in terms of economic, sport and cultural achievements. And as we mentioned, plenty of the events planned for the celebrations are going to be nonpartisan, and they’re happening all over the country.

Give me some of the highlights…
In New York, the famous ball will drop in Times Square - it’s the one that drops on New Year’s Eve every year. But this time it’s going to drop 8 times to mark midnight in each of America’s time zones - and each zone will have its own unique design… In Philadelphia, they’re going to bury a time capsule which they reckon is going to stay sealed until 2276 - so, for another 250 years.

That poses some questions…
Look, we’re sure they’ve figured out how to get the instructions to open it to future them… In the meantime, America250 organisers say it’s to give future generations “a clear, authentic window into who we were at 250 – what we valued, what we built, and how we saw ourselves as a nation.”

What’s happening in Los Angeles?
There’s going to be a big concert hosted by actress/singer Queen Latifah that’ll feature country star Chris Stapleton, 90s rock band the Smashing Pumpkins, and also 70s funk singer Chaka Khan - so, something for everyone… But coming back to the capital, there’s also some serious building work underway as part of several beautification projects…

What’s going on?
For one, restoration workers are busy trying to fix the paintjob on the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting pool which went a bit wrong due to flaky paint and an untimely algal bloom… And then there’s the President’s plans for an ‘Arc de Trump’… Its official name is the United States Triumphal Arch - it’s modelled off the Arc de Triumph in Paris, and Trump wanted it built in time for the 250th, but there's a legal challenge going on, there’s also been no formal congressional approval for it, and separately, there are concerns that it could be a major disruption to traffic.

Any others to know about?
Yep… On top of the pool and the arch, he’s also put his stamp on the White House by building a new ballroom, paving over the Rose Garden and making over the Oval Office.

Golden…
So much… But at the end of the day, the 250th Anniversary is a celebration for all Americans, and they can trace their beginnings back to one document - the Declaration of Independence. We hope that ties together some past and present context for you. Happy birthday USA…

Onto our Recommendations

Reading: This article by NBC News that’s helpful for anyone wanting to read more about the 2 party planners: America250 v Freedom 250…

Watching: We mentioned the movie National Treasure - it’s a fun way to get a handle on some of the history and the importance of the Declaration of Independence. It stars Nicolas Cage and Diane Kruger, and you can find it on Disney+

Reading: And this piece in the New York Times is from the paper’s writers about what they believe is worth celebrating…

A tenner for a whole roast chook

Supermarket roast chickens might set you back $13 these days, but Red Rooster's dropping its whole chooks to $10 every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday until 18 August. Each bird is hand-seasoned, dry brined for 12 hours and slow-roasted in-store for at least 55 minutes. Stocks are limited and not every restaurant is taking part - check if yours is here.

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