America Turns 250!

Proud of the Old Girl!

America 250 marks the 250th anniversary of our nation's independence, commemorating the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, 1776. This date marked the birth of the United States as a free nation.

We were smaller back then - only about 2.5 million of us living in the United States in 1776. We must have done something right because we've grown to approximately 343 million people in 2026. It's a great place to live! Every month on average, we welcome roughly 68,000 new citizens to the United States.

There are a LOT of stories about America turning 250, so I went digging for some things you might NOT know about our country's origins:

• Back in 1776, news traveled a bit slower - No viral tweets, no broadcast news. Once the Declaration of Independence was signed, it took weeks to reach many parts of the colonies. Some areas didn't hear until August and some citizens still loyal to Britain ignored or resisted the news entirely. Independence was not just a moment or day in time, it was a very gradual confusing process with a lot of questions and uncertainty.

• English has never been designated the official language of the United States. President Trump signed Executive Order 14224 designating English as the official language, but Congress has never officially passed a law with that designation. Back in 1776, there was a serious debate about making German the official language because of the large German-speaking population living here. From the beginning, America was multilingual and globally influenced.

• The first U.S. Census in 1790 was deemed to be wildly inaccurate. Censuses are used to help determine political representation and tax bases - Historians estimate that the first census underestimated the population by 35%!

• Some U.S. businesses in existence today are older than the United States itself. These include Casewell-Massey (1752), The Hartford Courant (1764), Baker's Chocolate (1765) and Ames (1774). Other companies still around today followed shortly afterward; King Arthur Flour (1790), Cigna (1792), Dixon Ticonderoga (1795), Jim Beam (1795) and JP Morgan Chase (1799), Crane Stationary (1799), DuPont (1802), and Colgate (1806).

• The Constitution was meant to be a work in progress. The founders built it to be a living document - adaptable to the growth of the country. It was designed to be refined as the needs of the country changed. The original version never included civil rights, labor laws or voting access to name a few.

• New York was considered the nation's first capital, not Washington D.C. or even Philadelphia. George Washington took his oath of office at Federal Hall on Wall Street.

• John Hancock and Charles Thompson were the only two signers of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. The rest signed on August 2, 1776.

• The Star-Spangled Banner wasn't the official national anthem until 1931 when it was signed into law by Congress.

• The Liberty Bell is traditionally tapped 13 times every Independence Day, once for each of the thirteen original colonies.

First time visitors to our country have described their reaction to the United States with a mix of surprise, delight and cultural discovery. Some of the comments expressed include:

• Hospitality and Friendliness - international visitors to the United States are struck by how warm and friendly Americans are. British and European visitors say, "everyone is so friendly and accommodating" There are numerous social media clips from Scots, Brazilians and Japanese that love "cheerful customer service, free ice water and generous help from strangers."

• Food and Portion Sizes - International visitors marvel at the variety and quality of American food. They also are reportedly amazed at the portion sizes. They joke about our unlimited soda refills and massive coffee cups.

• Retail and Convenience - The sheer size and variety of American retail stores are described as "heaven" or "incredible" by first time visitors to our country. Stores like Walmart and Target selling everything from air rifles to ice machines are foreign to people from other countries visiting for the first time.

• Scenery and Outdoor Life - Our sweeping coastlines, mountains and vast U.S. landscapes as well as small-town charm are greatly appreciated by first time visitors to America. Many report feeling a strong connection to nature and the outdoors, which is a big contrast to their home countries.

• Diversity and Inclusion - America's "melting pot" of cultures, languages and skin color is a welcomed and positive takeaway for visitors from other countries. They relate to a sort of kinship and inclusion when visiting the U.S.

• Overall Sentiment - Many first-time visitors to the United States report a very different experience from the images portrayed in international media as "Ugly Americans". Some are surprised at the size of people, cost of living in the city or the distances between places. The more dominant impression of America and Americans is one of welcoming hospitality, friendly and accommodating people. They find we have a unique blend of urban, suburban and rural life.

I'm a proud American. While not a world traveler, I have been outside the country to enough places to appreciate the goodness and commodity we have here.

Happy 250th Anniversary, America!