America250 Launches 'America's Stories,' Invites Vermonters to Participate

America250 is a national organization with the mission to include as many Americans as possible from across the country in the Semiquincentennial commemoration, coming up on July 4, 2026. The Semiquincentennial is the 250th anniversary of the establishment of the country. In Vermont a commission was established to help commemorate the 250th, too, in great part by encouraging Vermonters to learn more about the history of America’s democratic experiment and bring their own improvements to it (more on Vermont’s plans to come!)

In July, America250 kicked off an effort called America’s Invitation and asked Americans like us to share our stories with them. So far, they’ve received nearly one thousand submissions and heard stories that “exemplify the best of what our country has to offer, remind us of our past, and allow us to recommit to building a better future.” See the first of these stories at the America’s Stories page.

The stories include Americans from all walks of life – from people like Livingston T., an American singer-songwriter from Massachusetts who performs a rendition of “God Bless America,” to James Lockridge, the Director of Big Heavy World, who sends a message out to all artists. America250 makes the point, “Your stories are America’s story.” Vermont musicians — add your ‘American story’ to this project!

They’re going to regularly update the page with new submissions, so check it out, share your story, and help make this an inclusive commemoration with a whole lot of Vermont in it!

Image above: “Fife and drum: Young people mark Independence Day with Revolutionary War-era instruments and dress in Takoma Park, Maryland on July 4th, 1922” from the Library of Congress.