Gerald Ford was the U.S. president during the 1976 Bicentennial, the predecessor to America250.
The Bicentennial commemorated the 200th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Its major celebrations culminated on July 4, 1976, exactly 200 years after Congress adopted the Declaration in 1776.
Ford presided over national celebrations, including the televised fireworks display in Washington, D.C. He also took part in events connected with Operation Sail, an international fleet gathering in New York Harbor.
The Bicentennial was more decentralized than a single national exposition. Across the United States and abroad, tens of thousands of events included parades, reenactments, exhibitions, fireworks, and educational programs.