As the year draws to a close, many of us begin thinking about resolutions, long-delayed projects like cleaning out the garage, or the possibilities a new year might bring. But before we focus on ourselves — individually or within our own families — it is worth lifting our gaze to our neighbors, both next door and across the country. One truth connects us all: we are Americans. And as Americans, we share a significant milestone approaching in 2026.
On July 4, 2026 America will celebrate its 250th birthday.
Yes, America was inhabited long before 1776. Yes, it’s true many came over from other countries to “discover” what was already known. And, yes, it is true that some came for religious freedom, some to own their own land and home, some even came just to find resources to bring back to Europe, and some were forced to make the New World their home. But as we read through our history, one fact becomes clear: circumstances change. Nothing remains the same.
Our country has always had the freedom to change. That alone is something worth celebrating. A brief look at our timeline shows how profoundly we have transformed:
1775 – The American Revolutionary War begins.
1789 – Voting rights limited to property-owning or tax-paying White males in most states
1792 – Kentucky is admitted as a new state, giving the vote to free men regardless of color or property ownership.
1861 – The Civil War begins.
1864 – The 13th Amendment abolished slavery in the United States.
1870 – The Fifteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution prevents states from denying the right to vote on grounds of “race, color, or previous condition of servitude”.
1914 – WWI begins.
1920 – Women are guaranteed the right to vote by the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.
1929 – The Great Depression begins.
1939 – WWII begins.
1955 – Rosa Parks sparks the Civil Rights Movement.
1963 – The March on Washington gathers more than 250,000 people.
1982 – Wisconsin became the first state to outlaw discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.
The timeline of our country remains a living, breathing record of conflict, innovation, social change, religious movements, and shifting ideas.
This is the nation we have the opportunity to celebrate.
“What makes us exceptional — what makes us American — is our allegiance to an idea articulated in a declaration made more than two centuries ago: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.’ Today we continue a never-ending journey to bridge the meaning of those words with the realities of our time,” said President Barack Obama in his Second Inaugural Address.
As imperfect as we may be, we all have the choice to look to our neighbors and ask ourselves, “What can I do to serve them so that they may live out their life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness?” When an organization closes its doors, how can we fill that gap? When a business disappears, is that the moment for our voice or our hands? Our rapidly changing country has never evolved because people retreated inward. The American timeline has shifted—and progressed—because individuals recognized when it was time to rise and serve others.
As we approach our nation’s 250th year, we inherit both the achievements and the unfinished work of those who came before us. The American story has never been static; it has been shaped generation by generation. By people willing to strengthen their communities, expand freedom, and challenge the limits of what justice. The coming milestone offers not only a moment of celebration, but also an invitation. Each of us can decide how we will contribute to the next chapter of our nation: how we will serve, include, and uplift the neighbors beside us. In doing so, we honor the ideals that launched America and ensure they continue to guide its future.
Jennifer Jahn, a contributor to the NKyTribune, lives in Northern Kentucky with her pastor husband, four children, seven chickens, two ducks and one mischievous Bernedoddle who has an appetitive for socks. She homeschools and finds joy in reading and writing and has published several children’s books. She is a member of Boone County Word Weavers.