Gerald Ford led the 1976 Bicentennial celebrations, the 200th-anniversary predecessor to America250.
Ford was president during the national observance of the 200th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. He attended major events in Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., and addressed the country during the celebrations. The Bicentennial involved parades, fireworks, exhibitions, historical reenactments, and local programs across the United States.
The celebration culminated on Sunday, July 4, 1976. In New York Harbor, Ford reviewed an international fleet during a naval event, while tall ships assembled for Operation Sail. Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip also visited the United States and took part in Bicentennial events.
Ford is sometimes confused with Jimmy Carter because Carter became president in January 1977, shortly after the Bicentennial year. Richard Nixon had resigned in 1974, and Lyndon B. Johnson had left office in 1969. Ford therefore held the presidency during the anniversary itself.