Its
members are primarily history professionals who are affiliated with museums and
historical societies as well as educational and research institutions in the
United States and Canada.
AASLH was formed in 1940, by Dr. Charles Christopher Crittenden Jr. (shown below), who was the director of the North Carolina Department of Archives and History from 1935-68. A native of Wake Forest, N.C., Dr. Crittenden earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in history at Wake Forest College and received his doctorate from Yale University in New Haven, Conn. He was a member of the history faculty at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill from 1930-35.
John Marks and Madeleine Rosenberg, senior staff members at AASLH, have offered an analysis about how President Donald Trump is attempting to “shift the landscape of the 250th anniversary commemoration” through an executive order titled “Celebrating America’s 250th Anniversary.”
It
seeks to ensure that America’s Semiquincentennial will feature a “grand
celebration worthy of the momentous occasion” associated with the signing of
the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.
The
executive order established the “White House Task Force on Celebrating
America’s 250th Birthday” (known as “Task Force 250”) with Trump serving as
chair and Vice President John David (JD) Vance as vice chair.
“We
still are not sure how Task Force 250 will relate to the U.S.
Semiquincentennial Commission created by the U.S. Congress in 2016, with which
the task force overlaps in significant ways,” the AASLH researchers noted. Plus,
funding remains a huge question mark.
They said the Trump administration is “highly invested in the symbolic power of the Semiquincentennial” and appears to be discounting America250, which is the “brand” promoted by the bipartisan Semiquincentennial Commission.
Language within Trump’s executive order appears to dismiss the relevance of America250. Only when deemed appropriate by Trump and Vance will the leadership of America250 be allowed to “provide recommendations and advice to Task Force 250.”
Chairing the America250 commission is Rosa Gumataotao “Rosie” Rios, former U.S. Secretary of the Treasury under President Barack Obama. The organization is commended for having taken “the high road,” in response to Trump’s executive order. It issued the following statement:
“America250
is proud to have the leadership of President Trump as we prepare and plan for
America’s 250th birthday milestone. The President and his team will be great
partners as we create the largest and most inspiring celebration and
commemoration in our nation’s history. We welcome and are excited to have this
commitment right out of the gate as we celebrate what it means to be an
American on the world stage.”
Members of the Semiquincentennial Commission were appointed by majority and minority leadership within both chambers of Congress. The roster of 36 members includes 16 private citizens and 12 Ex Officio members from all three branches of the federal government and its independent agencies, in addition to four members of the Senate and four members of the House of Representatives.
The four Senators are: Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.); Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska); Alex Padilla (D-Calif.); and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.).
The
four House members are: Robert Aderholt (R-Ala.); Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.);
Dwight Evans (D-Pa.); and Maria Elvira Salazar (R-Fla.).
Marks
and Rosenberg noted that President Trump’s vision for the July 4, 2026, holiday
is probably not what the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission has in mind.
America250 has “declared a goal of organizing ‘the largest and most inclusive’
commemoration in American history.”
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