Year of Celebration and Rededication, 2026
The President issued a Proclamation designating the year 2026 as the "Year of Celebration and Rededication" to commemorate the 250th anniversary of American independence, tracing the nation's ideals back to the Declaration of Independence and citing historical figures and religious devotion as foundational elements.
The President calls upon all Americans, including homes, schools, businesses, and the military, to observe the year with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities focused on celebrating American history, teaching succeeding generations about the nation's heroes, and renewing dedication to liberty and justice.
Arguments For
National Unity and Patriotism: Designating a specific year for celebration encourages national reflection on shared values and inspires unity around the Founding principles of liberty and equality.
Educational Mandate: Calling on parents to teach children about America's history and heroes promotes civic education and ensures the preservation of historical memory for future generations.
Historical Commemoration: Marking the 250th anniversary validates and honors the sacrifices made by past generations in establishing the Republic and advancing its ideals.
Spiritual Acknowledgment: The proclamation ties the nation's achievements to gratitude and religious reflection, aligning with historical precedents set by the Founding Fathers.
Arguments Against
Focus on Specific Ideology: The document heavily emphasizes specific interpretations of the Founding and religious references, which may alienate citizens who do not share those theological or historical viewpoints.
Resource Allocation: Encouraging nationwide, organized celebrations across all sectors (businesses, military, schools) may divert resources or attention from pressing current policy issues.
Potential for Commercialization: A congressionally or presidential designated commemorative year risks being overly commercialized or trivialized through excessive public promotion.
Exclusionary Language: While calling for celebration, the strong emphasis on the specific narrative of the Founding might overshadow recognition of subsequent historical figures or groups whose contributions were marginalized.
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION
This opening section clearly establishes the document as a formal proclamation issued by the President of the United States.
On January 1, 2026, the United States began our year-long commemoration of an important milestone in the history of our country: 250 years of American freedom and independence.
This sets the date for the beginning of the commemoration, marking the start of the 250th anniversary of American freedom and independence.
Two and a half centuries ago, on July 4, 1776, thousands of years’ worth of wisdom, philosophy, and culture were brought together in Philadelphia where delegates to the Second Continental Congress gathered to declare the birth of a new nation — “conceived in Liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal” — and, in so doing, launched the single greatest force for goodness, justice, prosperity, and human flourishing the world has ever known.
This paragraph recounts the historical significance of July 4, 1776, when the Second Continental Congress declared the nation's founding principles: liberty and equality for all men.
It frames this event as the genesis of a powerful global force for good.
As we celebrate the 250th year since the signing of the Declaration of Independence, we acknowledge with gratitude and pride that July 4, 1776, represents the most seminal political event in all of human history.
The text declares the 250th anniversary as a time of gratitude, defining the signing of the Declaration of Independence as the most significant political moment in human history.
Unlike other nations, America’s Founding was rooted in the belief that every man, woman, and child is “endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
This highlights a fundamental difference in the American Founding, emphasizing that unalienable rights—Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness—are granted by the Creator to every individual.
This conviction, enshrined in our Declaration of Independence, and indelibly etched upon every American heart, remains the bedrock of our government and the crown jewel of Western civilization. For 250 years, the burning flame of liberty has been passed down from one generation to the next, and has carried our Nation and our people to heights that our Founding Fathers could have never dreamed.
These core beliefs form the foundation of the government and Western civilization, and the spirit of liberty has continuously driven national progress over 250 years.
Guided by the example of Founding Fathers like George Washington, John Adams, James Madison, Benjamin Franklin, and other American patriots who helped light the torch of liberty in 1776, let us ask our Creator to bless America, free our Nation and our people from all threats to our safety and happiness, and to guide our actions for the security and common good of all Americans.
The proclamation calls for Americans to follow the patriotic example of the Founders and seek divine guidance and blessing for the nation’s safety, happiness, and security.
This year, we honor and cherish the generations of pioneers, warriors, statesmen, preachers, inventors, risk-takers, workers, and heroes whose unwavering commitment to the promise of freedom gave rise to the greatest Republic ever created. Today and throughout this year, I call on every American to celebrate this triumph of the American spirit, and to rededicate themselves to the sacred cause of liberty and justice for all.
The text calls for honoring all generations whose commitment to freedom created the Republic and encourages every American to celebrate this triumph and recommit to liberty and justice.
The Bible teaches: “In all circumstances give thanks.” As such, it is fitting that we mark this special year as a unique occasion to celebrate our proud history, reflect on our abundant blessings, pray for our country and our people, and rededicate ourselves as one Nation under God.
Quoting scripture about giving thanks, the proclamation suggests that this anniversary is an appropriate time for celebration, reflection on blessings, prayer, and rededication as a unified nation under God.
From the earliest days of our national story, reflection and thanksgiving have been central to our character, identity, and destiny. Just weeks before declaring independence, the Second Continental Congress ordered a day of “fasting, humiliation and prayer,” petitioning God “to pardon all our manifold sins and transgressions” and to “establish the peace and freedom of America, upon a solid and lasting foundation.” Later, in the heart of the Revolutionary War, the Second Continental Congress declared it “the indispensable duty of all men to adore the superintending providence of Almighty God.”
This points out that reflection and thanksgiving have historically been part of the national character, citing early Congressional actions that called for days of prayer and requests for divine aid in establishing peace and freedom.
In the sweltering summer of 1776, the promise of Freedom moved our ancestors to break with a tyrannical empire, issue the Declaration of Independence, and go on to overcome every hardship to establish a Republic like no other. It is this unwavering spirit of courage, faith and patriotism that propelled Paul Revere on his famous midnight ride, and that later inspired some of the world’s greatest men to pledge their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor to build a new nation. It is this spirit that led General George Washington to persevere at Valley Forge; inspired Davy Crockett to make his last stand at the Alamo; sustained settlers on the Oregon Trail; held the bloody ridges of Gettysburg; set slavery on a path to worldwide extinction; roused a generation of young men to conquer tyranny and communism overseas; and carried our beautiful Stars and Stripes to the face of the moon. To this very day, it is this American spirit that lives on in the hearts, minds, and souls of every patriot — and inspires every new generation of American citizens to reach further and aim higher.
The text emphasizes that the spirit of freedom, courage, and faith motivated the Founders' break from Britain and enabled the nation to overcome significant historical challenges.
It lists numerous historical examples, from Valley Forge to space exploration, as proof that this American spirit endures and inspires current generations.
When the Second Continental Congress voted in favor of independence, General George Washington issued General Orders to his army. In words that have echoed throughout history, he wrote: “The fate of unborn Millions will now depend, under God, on the Courage and Conduct of this army… Let us therefore rely upon the goodness of the Cause, and the aid of the supreme Being, in whose hands Victory is, to animate and encourage us to great and noble Actions.”
This quotes George Washington's General Orders issued after the vote for independence, emphasizing reliance on courage and divine aid for military success and noble action.
Today, too, we pray that our noble cause continues to be guided by the hand of providence and the grace of God — and that the fire of freedom will forever burn brightly in the heart of every American. Above all, this year, we pray and endeavor that the triumph of the American spirit and the glorious truths expressed in our Declaration of Independence will shine more radiantly than ever before.
The proclamation expresses a prayer that divine providence and grace will continue to guide the nation's noble cause, ensuring the flame of freedom remains bright and that the Declaration's truths shine intensely throughout the commemorative year.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim 2026 as a Year of Celebration and Rededication. I call on every American to reflect upon and celebrate the wisdom and deeds of the heroes of our Founding who made the miracle of America possible. I call on parents to teach their children about America’s inspiring history, heritage, and heroes. I invite the world to come to our shores to experience the splendor, warmth, and hospitality of America. And I encourage all Americans — including businesses, churches, families, and the military — to observe this year, reflecting on the blessings our Nation has received, with appropriate programs, ceremonies, concerts, celebrations, and activities in their homes, schools, work, communities, military bases, and houses of worship.
The President officially proclaims 2026 as the Year of Celebration and Rededication.
This directive urges all Americans and organizations to participate in events honoring Founding heroes, teaching history to children, welcoming international visitors, and holding activities reflecting on the nation's blessings.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
twenty-ninth day of January, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-six, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and fiftieth.
DONALD J. TRUMP
This is the concluding authentication section, dating the proclamation to January 29, 2026, which marks the 250th year of U.S. Independence, and includes the President's signature.
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