Which earlier national anniversary celebration is the direct predecessor to America250?

The United States Bicentennial is the direct predecessor to America250.

The Bicentennial was the nationwide commemoration of the 200th anniversary of American independence. Its main anniversary date was July 4, 1976, exactly 200 years after the Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence. It included celebrations across the country and drew attention to the history of the American Revolution.

America250 follows the same anniversary sequence but marks 250 years rather than 200. The two celebrations are separated by 50 years. Both are tied to the Declaration’s adoption and to the continuing public memory of the founding of the United States.

The United States also observed a Centennial in 1876 and a Sesquicentennial in 1926. Those names refer to 100 and 150 years, respectively. The Bicentennial is the most direct comparison because it was the previous major national anniversary of independence at a round milestone.