What anniversary did the United States Bicentennial observances of 1976 commemorate?

The United States Bicentennial observances of 1976 commemorated the 200th anniversary of American independence.

The bicentennial fell two centuries after 1776, the year associated with the Declaration of Independence. Celebrations took place throughout the country and included parades, exhibitions, historical programs, public ceremonies, and specially designed objects and structures. The event became one of the largest nationwide commemorations in U.S. history before America250.

The word “bicentennial” means a 200th anniversary. This makes the 1976 celebration a useful comparison for understanding the 2026 semiquincentennial. America250 marks 250 years, exactly fifty years after the bicentennial and one hundred years after the 1876 centennial.

The bicentennial is sometimes remembered mainly for patriotic decorations and the famous “Spirit of ’76” imagery. However, the official observance involved extensive federal, state, local, and private participation. The 1976 milestone was based on the same revolutionary-era starting point used for the 2026 commemoration: the independence movement and Declaration of 1776.