DC250

Washington and the Spirit of '76

In just over 18 months, the United States will celebrate its semiquincentennial: 250 years since the thirteen British colonies declared their independence. Celebrations and commemorations have already begun in various states, including Virginia (VA250) and Massachusetts (MA250 and Revolution 250), exploring the rich history and critical events in the years 1774 and 1775 leading up to the Revolution. I wrote about one such anniversary, that of the Fairfax Resolves, in an earlier edition of the Patowmack Packet. For those who remember the Bicentennial in 1976, it’s a bit difficult to believe that half a century has gone by since the gala events and Tall Ships of that summer.

While Boston, Philadelphia, New York, and Charleston will host their own historical celebrations, Washington, D.C., naturally will be the site of many, if not most, of the keystone national events related to the 250th. That’s ironic, if unavoidable, since Washington of course did not exist in 1776. The land along the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers was a barren, swampy wilderness in the days of the Revolution, with a few cleared fields and small plantations, not even a way station between Charleston and Baltimore or Philadelphia. The residency bill that created both the Federal (Washington) City and the District of Columbia, incorporating as autonomous entities Alexandria and Georgetown, was not passed until July 1790, during the Constitutional Convention, and it took the federal government another decade to move to the new city, in November 1800.

None of the events of the glorious cause that secured American independence or established our form of government thus took place in today’s Capital. Ever since it’s founding, however, Washington has been the locus of the revolutionary spirit, whether through remembrance or activism to try and live up to the promises of independence.

Though Washington cannot claim the revolutionary pedigree of Philadelphia, Boston, or Williamsburg, that did not stop the National Capital from being the focus for much of the festivities for the Bicentennial, in 1976.

(Washington, D.C., bicentennial pin; image from Ebay.)

Parades, fireworks, exhibits, star-studded concerts, and other events filled the streets of Washington during the months of celebration, and even Queen Elizabeth II came on a state visit to the former colonies. After the racial conflict of the Civil Rights Movement, the trauma of Watergate, and the tragedy of Vietnam, the Bicentennial was a much-needed boost to civic spirit, even as the bitter feelings and unresolved problems of the recent past shadowed the anniversary.

(Washington, D.C., during the Bicentennial Celebration, 1976; image from Pinterest.)

As the repository of so much of the Nation’s past, from our most precious documents, in the National Archives, to priceless treasures in the Library of Congress (including in the new David M. Rubenstein Treasures Gallery) and the various museums of the Smithsonian Institution, Washington more than any other city preserves and keeps alive America’s history. It thus should, and will, play a central role for official celebration of the 250th. And while the closest major Revolutionary War battle to Washington occurred at Yorktown (arguably also the most important), the Washington-area homes of Founding Fathers and sites where they gathered in those epochal days, from Mount Vernon to Monticello and Alexandria, remain central to the story of the Revolution.

As of now, there is no “DC250” organization like the ones in Virginia or Massachusetts. However, given the sustaining role Washington plays in maintaining the Spirit of ‘76, I’ll be highlighting some of the National Capital Region’s key historical sites, collections, and events related to American independence over the next 18 months. Not every edition of the Patowmack Packet will focus on the semiquincentennial, but keep your eyes peeled for “DC250” posts. Coming up first, a look at how the Library of Congress brought the Declaration of Independence directly to the American people, forever changing our relationship to our founding document.