Celebrating 249 years of Nationhood
As the Sesquicentennial celebration of our 250th year as a nation approaches in 2026, we have much to be grateful for and many to remember.
Reflectioins on our 249th year as a nation
Young, Bold & Brave—There's only one America
At 249 years old, America is still a relatively young nation, even though it has put on a few extra pounds.
Consider this:
• France has been a unified kingdom since the 10th century.
• Japan's imperial line stretches back more than 2,600 years.
• Great Britain has been a united country since 1707, some 318 years.
• England has been a political kingdom for at least 1,000 years.
American heroine
"Molly Pritcher"
But what America may lack in age, it makes up for in bold beginnings. And there are numerous stories of unlikely heroes that forged our nation’s start. One such hero is Mary Ludwig Hays, AKA, Molly Pritcher.
Mary Ludwig Hays enlisted to serve in the Pennsylvania Artillery alongside her husband. She was described as a “twenty-two-year-old illiterate pregnant woman who smoked and chewed tobacco and swore as well as any of the male soldiers. ”She was given the nickname “Molly Pitcher” by the Soldiers she served with. Molly was a common nickname for Mary and “pitcher” referred to the water jugs she was often seen carrying through camp to do laundry. During the long, hot Battle of Monmouth, soldiers began dying of dehydration. Realizing this, Hays ran back and forth onto the battlefield to bring them water. She continued in her mission until her husband was wounded. That’s when she took up his place at the cannon and began firing, solidifying her legacy as an American hero.
American exceptionalism
249 Years Built on an Idea and Three Core Values
Unlike other countries, our sovereignty wasn't handed down through monarchies or inherited tradition—it was declared, fought for, and then finally recognized by the world in 1783 with the Treaty of Paris. But it all began in 1776 with the Declaration of Independence.
There are other republics in the world. But there’s only one quite like ours—founded not by lineage, conquest, or decree, but by an idea: That free people, bound by a shared Constitution, could govern themselves.
Our unique values can be found on any coin in your pocket: In God We Trust, e pluribus unum, and Liberty.
That idea still stands—249 years later. And it’s still ours to protect, improve, and pass on. So, pass it on.
