Happy Birthday, America? by Charles Coulombe

By Charles Coulombe, Crisis Magazine, April 13, 2024

Charles A. Coulombe is a contributing editor at Crisis and the magazine’s European correspondent. He previously served as a columnist for the Catholic Herald of London and a film critic for the National Catholic Register. A celebrated historian, his books include Puritan’s Empire and Star-Spangled Crown. He resides in Vienna, Austria and Los Angeles, California.

As America approaches the 250th anniversary of its birth, few seem interested in celebrating our country.

Today, April 15, is Patriots’ Day in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, commemorating the battles of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775. As customary, this will be the culmination of a week of observances in Boston and the towns as far west as Concord. Fife and drum companies, militia units, re-enactors, and many more will do their best to teach the public about the opening days of the American Revolution—our first civil war.

Next year will be the 250th anniversary of those battles; given that the following year will see the same anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, these anniversaries are an opening act for the Semiquincentennial of these United States, since the signing of the Declaration is considered our country’s birthday. As old as I am, I recall very well indeed the buildup to the Bicentennial 50 years ago and cannot help but notice the difference. …

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