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Resources

Resources

Explore local and national resources to help plan America 250 events in your community.

American Association for State and Local History (AASLH)

America’s Semiquincentennial presents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to share the whole history of our nation and to make progress in becoming a more perfect union. To support nationwide efforts, AASLH has created the 250th Anniversary Program Handbook and the Making History at 250 Field Guide to help organizations enhance public engagement with history.

Visit the AASLH website for additional planning resources, FAQs, and the national initiative tracker.

America250 National Website

America250.org is the official website of the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission, established by congress in 2016 to plan and orchestrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence of the United States. The nonpartisan Commission, chaired by former Treasurer of the United States Rosie Rios, is working with America250.org, Inc., to engage Americans across the country in designing the largest and most inclusive anniversary observance in our nation’s history.

America250 Time Capsule

On July 4, 2026, America250 will bury the Semiquincentennial Time Capsule within Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia. The stainless steel cylinder, designed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, is designed to safely store commemorative objects for 250 years until the capsule’s opening on July 4, 2275.

Each state has been asked to contribute a submission that represents its people, stories, and values at this historic moment, and the America 250 Oregon Commission invites the public to share ideas for Oregon’s contributions. Submissions must fit within a 6″ x 5″ x 2″ archival storage box or consist of a single page of archival paper no larger than 8.5″ x 11″. Items should reflect Oregon and its people today and may include creative works, written reflections, or symbolic objects created with long-term preservation in mind.

Oregonians are encouraged to submit recommendations to [email protected] by March 1, 2026. Public input will help inform the Commission’s final selection, ensuring Oregon’s contribution reflects a broad range of perspectives and experiences.

America Gives

From our nation’s founding, Americans have always met the moment by giving back. In 2026, we have the opportunity to do it again — by mobilizing millions of Americans of all ages to serve their communities and each other.

Through meal packing, neighborhood cleanups, youth mentorship, civic engagement, and more, America Gives invites everyone to take part in a historic year of volunteerism. Americans can log their volunteer hours online — helping demonstrate the scale and impact of service across the country — and be entered for a chance to be one of 250 winners who choose where America250 will donate $1,000,000 total. To date, more than 623,000 volunteer hours have been logged since January 1, 2026.

Find a volunteer opportunity near you at America250.org.

City of Portland’s America 250 City Art Poster Contest

The City of Portland’s America 250 City Art Poster Contest invites artists and creatives ages 13 and older, of any skill level, to design a poster that captures Portland’s spirit, history, and future in honor of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

This opportunity is part of a nationwide initiative with the U.S. Conference of Mayors and the National Endowment for the Arts to amplify local voices and artistic visions as part of the national semiquincentennial celebration.

Artists have the chance to win cash prizes and to see their work celebrated across city spaces, featured in digital publications, and added to the City of Portland’s Public Art Collection.

Deadline to submit your design is March 1, 2026, at 11:59pm. Learn more and submit your poster here.

Decorative Arts Trust’s Collecting250 Resource

The Decorative Arts Trust’s Collecting 250 online resource celebrates the United States Semiquincentennial by featuring 250 historic objects from across the country, including the Afro-American Heritage Bicentennial Commemorative Quilt preserved in the Oregon Historical Society’s museum collection. All are invited to browse this online collection of meaningful and impactful objects that represent independence, identity, and community. The hope of this resource is to encourage the exploration of material culture collections online and in person at the wealth of institutions located throughout our nation.

Marines Across America

The Marine Corps Heritage Foundation is celebrating the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Marine Corps throughout 2025 with events nationwide leading up to its official birthday on November 10. As part of the commemoration, the Marines Across America program is highlighting Marines from every state who have made a lasting impact in their communities.

Anyone can contribute by submitting the name and story of a Marine who embodies the values of Honor, Courage, and Commitment through their open submission form.

Moments that Made US: Download Now!

Discover Moments That Made US, a free, customizable, print-on-demand exhibit exploring the ideals of the Declaration of Independence through defining moments in American history. Developed through a multi-state collaboration, the exhibit features 21 modular panels that organizations can easily download and print. There will also be a Pacific Northwest component with panels created by the Oregon, Washington, and Idaho State 250 Commissions.

To access the exhibition files, organizations must first sign a digital use agreement. Once the agreement is complete, users will receive access to the full exhibition materials and user guide.

Oregon Humanities Beyond 250

Oregon Humanities invites you to join a statewide reflection on the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Through library trainings, public conversations, letter-writing projects, and more, Beyond 250 offers ways to explore our shared past and imagine a collective future.

Visit Beyond 250 for resources, toolkits, and community-driven dialogues spanning 2025 and 2026.

Public Media Making History at 250

Public media stations have long chronicled the stories of our communities. In celebration of the semiquincentennial, stations across the country have joined together through Public Media Making History at 250, a national project from The National Educational Telecommunications Association (NETA).

Organized around the AASLH Making History at 250 themes, the collection highlights how Americans make and remember history. Documentaries from OPB’s Oregon Experience are featured in:

Explore the full collection at Public Media Making History at 250

Revolutionary War Pension Files Transcription Project

Volunteer as a Citizen Archivist!

The National Park Service and the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) are collaborating on a special project to transcribe the pension records of more than 80,000 of America’s first veterans and their widows. Not only could you be the first person in 200 years to learn their stories, but your efforts will make a permanent contribution to the historical record in time for the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution! Learn how you can become a citizen archivist by visiting archives.gov.

The United States at 250: The Paradox of Commemoration

A blog post by Brad Parker published on Dear Oregon

This spring, Brad Parker, member of the America 250 Oregon Commission, traveled to Washington, D.C., to gather with people from across the country who are preparing to commemorate this milestone in our country’s history. In this post published on the Oregon Historical Society blog, Dear Oregon, Parker shares highlights from the convening and offers thoughts as a K–12 educator and social science specialist on how the 250th anniversary can reflect all our American stories and move us toward a “more perfect union.”