Gilbert is joining communities across the nation in observing the United States' 250th anniversary. The city is participating in the broader national celebration of the semiquincentennial, which marks a quarter of a millennium since the country's founding.
The observance connects to historical precedents set shortly after the nation's birth. When the Second Continental Congress voted to separate from Great Britain on July 2, 1776, John Adams wrote to his wife, Abigail, suggesting the event should be marked as a significant festival.
Adams proposed that the occasion be solemnized with public displays including shows, games, sports, gunfire, bells, bonfires, and illuminations spanning the continent.
Adams wrote that these celebrations should continue from that time forward forever. The current national observance reflects the spirit of public festivity he described, although the actual date of the Declaration of Independence was July 4, 1776, two days after the congressional vote.
