It’s almost June and there is more and more talk and activity related to America 250, so it is fitting that this week’s Saturday Night Genealogy Fun challenge pertains to the 1976 Bicentennial:
1) How did you observe or celebrate the Bicentennial of America’s Founding on 4 July 1976?
2) What were you doing on that day? Did you or your family attend any special events to mark America’s 200th birthday?
To be honest, I have no memories whatsoever of attending any Bicentennial events. I was in my 20s and living in North Providence, Rhode Island.
Some of my college friends lived nearby and I’m assuming we would have attended some town fireworks displays. However, I have no photos of any activities, parties or other events.
It’s also possible that I drove to New Jersey for the holiday. If I did that, and my family did anything special, it would have been to view the town fireworks held on the field of Wayne Valley High School.
I’m not sure why, but apparently, the Bicentennial celebration didn’t make much of an impression on me. I wonder if it was due to publicity saturation and it was kind of nice that the hoopla was done?
Randy, this was a really interesting challenge. I have to admit that I haven’t been terribly excited by America 250 either, so maybe it’s the same reaction I had to 1976 events.
UPDATE: I’ve been thinking about this and why I wouldn’t remember the celebrations. In the spring of 1976, I was teaching in Central Falls, Rhode Island. On one rainy Sunday, I was reading a professional education journal and found an ad for an elementary teacher in Mexico City, Mexico. On a whim, I applied, was offered the job and moved to Mexico that summer. I taught there for a year before returning to the States to earn my Master’s degree. I wasn’t living in the U.S. during most of the celebration events!
No wonder you have no memories of doing anything special on July 4, 1976, because you were having a special summer teaching in Mexico! Sounds like an adventure.
That certainly was a good reason you didn’t celebrate. I hope you enjoyed that summer in Mexico!
It was actually a full year teaching at an American English school that is still open for business in Mexico City. American English as opposed to British English, which also had a school!
That must have been quite an adventure, living in Mexico and working there for a year.
As a Canadian, I was certainly aware of the Bicentennial celebrations (I believe my cousin wrote to me about them), but obviously, I didn’t celebrate.
I was too young to remember Canada’s Centennial (not even 2), but the Sesquicentennial wasn’t a huge thing for me either. I believe I was flying to Saskatoon that day for a visit with my family there.