Maybe you’ve heard that America’s 250th birthday is in 2026. Officially, this is called semi-calcentennial.
That’s a huge deal, but even if many of us no longer agree on what the principles that created the United States mean today – Semitic Kentennial is actually a year-long commemoration that continues from this spring until 2033.
This is because the Declaration of Independence at the Second Continental Congress in the summer of 1776 and the resulting creation of the United States were part of a series of events that took place at least in 1775, and Ralph Waldo Emerson called “The Shot of Hearing the World,” which continued until 1783, signed a peace treaty signed in Paris, and the end of the colony of the American Revolution.
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It emphasizes that, at least, Semikinkentennial began in 2013 or 2020, 2013 is the 250th anniversary of the end of the French-Indian war in 1763, and that 2020 could be argued that 2020 prompted a series of British actions that urged postwar Britain’s actions, marking 250 years since Boston Massacre in 1770.
I’m going to avoid discussion – it’s too academic for a travel column – instead, I’m going to circle the 1775 in a timeline where the US Semi-Calcentennial Committee and the White House Task Force celebrate the 250th birthday of the US, and the White House Task Force celebrate this year’s Ignore, and also in addition to the 2026 anniversary, the US Semi-Calcentennial Committee and the White House Task Force also release the 1775 in a timeline released by the US Battlefield Trust, in addition to the 2026 anniversary.
Richmond
The first date is March 23rd, the anniversary of Patrick Henry’s “Give me freedom or give me death!” Speech at the 1775 Virginia Conference at St. John’s Church in Richmond. Among the conventions were George Washington and Thomas Jefferson.


Built in 1741, the Anglican Parish Church will host a reenactment of Henry’s speech on March 23rd. At the time of writing, tickets are sold out. Readers who still want to get inside on anniversaries are encouraged to attend the Sunday service, which is scheduled regularly at 10:30am
When you’re there, book a room at the Jefferson Hotel. AAA 4 Diamond and Forbes Recommended Hotels are places to stay in Richmond.
Lexington and Concord
Emerson’s “Shot Hard Round the World” took place on April 19, 1775 in the small Massachusetts towns of Lexington and Concord. What happened that day became the first armed conflict of the American Revolution.
Hundreds of genuinely dressed re-enactors show what the 1775 skirmish looked like during their daily programming at Minute Man National Historical Park on April 19th. In Massachusetts, this is an official state holiday called Patriots Day (note the apostrophe). Lexington and Concord will have a wide range of events scheduled for the weekend, April 19-21. This is also Easter weekend.
The park is located about 25 miles from Boston Airport for those planning a visit. Recommended hotels are the Colonial Inn in Concord and Hastingspark, an inn in Lexington.
Williamsburg
If there is one place to visit between the Semitic Kentennials, then Williamsburg, Virginia.
Williamsburg is part of modern city and colonial Williamsburg as a preserved and partially reconstructed colonial capital that serves as an outdoor life history museum.
It also serves as an anchor for the historic American triangle, including Jamestown, which was secured in 1781 with the defeat of the British in Washington in the final major battle of the war, and became the first British settlement in North America in 1607 and became the United States in 169 years later.
There’s no bad time to visit, but the big semi-calcentennial celebration here comes in 2026. Still, Colonial Williamsburg is always experienced by everyone. On my recent visit, I enjoyed a “revolutionary perspective.” This is an evening programme featuring historic interpreters and monologues that provide competing arguments against independence.
Beyond Williamsburg, the American Revolution Museum in Yorktown is a must-see for discovering everything you’ve ever wanted to know. The museum, part of the Jamestown Yorktown Foundation, far outweighs the disappointing excuse of the National Park Service, the museum’s National Park Service, located at the Visitor Center on the battlefield of Yorktown.
Give them a day in Yorktown at least two days in Williamsburg. Stay at AAA 4 Diamond Williamsburg Inn. The imposing hotel, a blend of British country houses and Southern Plantations, first hosted Queen Elizabeth II twice in 2007.
Dennis Lennox is a travel column for Christian Post.
Dennis Lennox writes about travel, politics and religion. He has appeared in the Financial Times, Independent, The Detroit News, Toronto Sun and other publications. Follow @dennislennox on Twitter.