EDITORS:

The United States is marking the 250th year of its independence — and its existence — at a jumbled and fast-changing moment in the nation’s history. For the next several months, The Associated Press is offering a rich slate of content — a comprehensive look at the anniversary and the state of the nation today from multiple angles and in all formats.

Here are AP’s all-format coverage plans, which will be updated with additional material and are subject to change. Updates can be found on AP Newsroom Coverage Plan. Please see the end of this advisory for key AP contacts and items that have already been published.

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LIVE VIDEO COVERAGE:

—DOCUMENT TOUR: Some of America’s founding documents are on tour. AP offers live coverage in Atlanta, Los Angeles, Denver, Miami, Seattle and Dearborn, Michigan. Photo coverage as well. See bottom of this advisory for details.

—REENACTMENTS: The Battles of Lexington and Bunker Hill launched the American Revolution. AP covers both reenactments in Massachusetts live. Lexington: April 18, 2026. Bunker Hill: June 17, 2026.

—MEMORIAL DAY: The Memorial Day Parade in Washington D.C. Live coverage, May 25, 2026.

—AMERICAN TIME CAPSULE: Event in Philadelphia. Live coverage of burial. Live coverage, July 4, 2026.

—INDEPENDENCE DAY: Celebrations are planned across the country. AP offers extensive coverage in Virginia, Washington, D.C., New Jersey, and New York City. Live coverage. July 4, 2026.

—ADDITIONAL LIVES: On merit, added throughout the year.

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FIXTURES PLANNED:

AMERICA 250: Two major “tentpole” stories per month beginning in April across formats that each tell the story of a piece of the United States — in-depth looks at where the American experiment stands today and what it means. April through October, one in the first half of the month and the other in the second. Exact dates TBA.

AMERICAN OBJECTS: Thumbnail stories of some of the unlikely and unexpected items that have shaped the nation over 250 years and continue to do so today. Text, photos, occasionally video. four to eight a month through October. Text of 400 words or less and photos. Digital presentation on APNews.com. Schedule subject to updates and additions.

AMERICAN STORIES: Short video interviews with AP journalists, current and retired, about the most interesting American story they’ve ever covered. Between one and three per month, April through October. Video.

AMERICAN HISTORY TODAY: A monthly reported essay on the various ways that American history is present in today’s nation and why it matters. One a month, April through October. Text, photos.

AMERICAN GRAB BAG: Miscellaneous looks at the United States at 250. Various formats. One to three a month through October. Video, text, photos.

AMERICA 250 GAMES AND QUIZZES: Test your knowledge of American history and Americana with a slate of themed games and quizzes that will appear on apnews.com throughout the year.

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UPCOMING:

MARCH

MAIN OFFERING:

AMERICA 250-DEMOCRACY

The 250th anniversary of the United States arrives at a time of deep political divisions and, in some quarters, heightened anxiety over whether representative government in the world’s oldest democracy can be sustained. If there is any place the bitter partisanship is set aside, even temporarily, it is in the rotunda of the National Archives, which houses the document that will be commemorated this year, the Declaration of Independence. Text, photo, video. By Gary Fields. MOVED.

AMERICAN OBJECTS:

—America 250-Objects-The Levittown House, by Deepti Hajela.

—America 250-Objects-Tap Shoes, by Deepti Hajela.

AMERICAN GRAB BAG:

—AMERICA 250-DOCUMENTS TOUR

Some of the country’s most important historical records have hit the road. Typically housed in highly controlled vaults at the National Archives in Washington, documents such as the 1783 Treaty of Paris that formally ended the Revolutionary War will be part of a traveling exhibit that began when the plane carrying them left the nation’s capital for an eight-city tour. Text, photo, video. Published.

With:

—AMERICA 250-DOCUMENTS TOUR-GEORGIA

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APRIL

MAIN OFFERINGS:

AMERICA 250-DIVERSITY AND UNITY

The motto on American money is E Pluribus Unum — out of many, one. The U.S. Pledge of Allegiance says we are one nation, indivisible. Our founding documents refer to being created equal, call us “We, the People.” But there’s never been just ONE America — from its starting days, Americans have experienced America differently. And now, in the 250th anniversary year, it’s more true than ever. Whether due to something as simple as geography, to immigration status, ethnic group, education, etc., we don’t share a singular story, and these days, often even the same facts. It’s made going from Pluribus to Unum feel impossible at times, and still raises the question — can a nation made out many ever truly become one? By Deepti Hajela.

AMERICA 250-FOUNDING FATHERS-FAITH

Is the U.S. a Christian nation? As that debate grows louder, The Associated Press takes a deep dive into the religious beliefs of the men who founded the United States. Some were Christian, but many of the key ones were not, like Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson and Thomas Paine. What did they intend about church-state relations and what does that says about American religious identity — and Christianity’s enduring influence on the country? Text, photo. By Religion Writer Peter Smith.

AMERICAN HISTORY TODAY:

AMERICA 250-HISTORY TODAY-THE FLAG

In a divided nation, where iterations of the American flag — blue and black, upside-down, and the basic Stars and Stripes — are enthusiastically wielded by conservatives, some who oppose the MAGA movement are trying to reclaim the iconography. 1,100 words and photos. By Ted Anthony.

AMERICAN OBJECTS:

—America 250-Objects-The Baseball, by Ted Anthony.

—America 250-Objects-American Chestnut, by Michael Phillis.

—America 250-Objects-Whites Only Sign, by Aaron Morrison.

—America 250-Objects-Ranch Dressing, by Holly Meyer.

AMERICAN GRAB BAG:

AMERICA 250-SPECTACLE AND SUBSTANCE

The ways Americans will mark the country’s 250th anniversary are playing out on a split screen. President Donald Trump, with his showman instincts, is planning a spectacle. The official America250 commission created by Congress is promoting a much quieter series of events. By Sean Murphy. Text, photo.

Also:

—AMERICA 250-BATTLE OF LEXINGTON REENACTMENT. Text, photo, live video, video edits, graphics.

—AMERICA 250-BELL HUNTERS. A Colorado man leads a group of Liberty Bell fans on a nationwide hunt for replicas of the famous bell commissioned by the Treasury Department in the 1950s. Text, photo, video.

—AMERICA 250-DOCUMENTS TOUR-CALIFORNIA

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MAY

MAIN OFFERINGS:

AMERICA 250-THE COLONIZERS

When the rebels declared independence from England and went on to fight the “redcoats,” the British Empire changed forever — and begat a nation that it would fight, befriend and partner with for 250 years thus far. Today, with the United States convulsing with divisions and taking actions that are impacting and sometimes confusing the rest of the world, what do Americans' former colonial masters think of them now? 1,400 words, photos, video. By Laurie Kellman.

AMERICA 250-THE AP IN HISTORY

For nearly three quarters of the United States' existence, The Associated Press has been watching it — reporting on its news, bearing witness to its seismic events, holding its leaders accountable, talking to its citizens. And the AP has grown and changed along with an evolving nation, evolving technology and the evolution of American journalism itself. UPCOMING: 1,800 words, video, photos and timeline. By David Bauder.

AMERICAN OBJECTS:

—America 250-Objects-Dog Tags, by Giovanna Dell’Orto.

—America 250-Objects-Resolute Desk, by Jack Auresto.

—America 250-Objects-The Pill, by Laura Ungar.

—America 250-Objects-Barbecue, by Deepti Hajela.

—America 250-Objects-The iPhone, by Michael Liedtke.

AMERICAN GRAB BAG:

AMERICA 250-RIVAL HISTORIES The nation’s history is being seen through two different lenses. The Trump administration has taken steps to whitewash certain parts that tell uncomfortable truths. Many states and local communities are taking an entirely different approach, seeing the anniversary as an opportunity to tell a more robust and inclusive history. By Gary Fields. Text, photo.

AMERICA 250-THE DECLARATION ANNOTATED What did some of Thomas Jefferson’s legendary terms in the Declaration of Independence mean to the colonists of 1776 and how are they resonating in today’s America?

AMERICA 250-THOMAS JEFFERSON He was the central character in America declaring its independence from a monarchy. As the country celebrates the anniversary of the document he wrote, Thomas Jefferson is claimed by both the right and left as their own, a complex man who embodies the nation’s political contradictions. By Hillel Italie. Text, photo.

Also:

—AMERICA 250-MEMORIAL DAY PARADE

—AMERICA 250-DOCUMENTS TOUR-COLORADO

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JUNE

MAIN OFFERINGS:

AMERICA 250-A CHANGING WHITE HOUSE

They call it the People's House, though fewer and fewer of we, the people come through it with each passing era. The house that symbolizes the American presidency has gone through drastic changes during the more than two centuries since its construction began — not least of which is the latest project by Donald Trump to completely redo what was once the East Wing. Join us for a look at the White House across the arc of its life, and how it reflected the nation growing up around it. UPCOMING: Mini-documentary. By Jack Auresto.

—With: AMERICA 250-PRESIDENTIAL PORTRAITS, by Jack Auresto. Text and photos.

AMERICA 250-MAJORITY MINORITY

The United States was founded with white Protestant men holding the lion’s share of political power, wealth and influence. As the nation celebrates 250 years, the threshold of the U.S. becoming a majority-minority nation draws nearer. In roughly 25 years, white Americans will make up less than half the population, and no single nonwhite demographic will hold a clear edge over another. Crossing that threshold could fundamentally change the idea of representative democracy. And if the U.S. were ever to become a true racial democracy, ancestry and heritage would no longer be indicators of social standing. Text, video, photos. By Aaron Morrison.

AMERICAN GRAB BAG:

AMERICA 250-AP POLL

A poll on topics related to the country’s identity in its 250th year conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Text, photo, video, graphic embed.

AMERICA 250-DEMOCRACY IN DOUBT The commemoration of the country’s founding comes as the U.S. is bitterly divided over its direction. Concern that democracy is under assault has left many Americans feeling more alarmed than celebratory. Text, photo.

AMERICA 250-VOTING RIGHTS The right to vote and be represented by people of your choosing is the foundation of America’s form of government. Yet for minority voters in particular, decades of progress are under threat of being rolled back in the very year the country is supposed to be celebrating its democracy. By Gary Fields. Text, photo.

AMERICAN OBJECTS:

—America 250-Objects-Schoolhouse Rock, by Ted Anthony.

—America 250-Objects-Slave Shackles, by Aaron Morrison.

—America 250-Objects-Arizona Iced Tea Can.

—America 250-Objects-The Bagel, by Josh Cornfield.

—America 250-Objects-Barbie.

AMERICAN GRAB BAG:

—AMERICA 250-BUNKER HILL REENACTMENT

—AMERICA 250-TALL SHIPS

—AMERICA 250-CONTINENTAL CONGRESS

—AMERICA 250-DOCUMENTS TOUR-FLORIDA

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JULY

—Full coverage of America 250 events in Washington and elsewhere.

MAIN OFFERINGS:

AMERICA 250-NATION OF SUCKERS

Americans have always been willing to pin their hopes to – and open their wallets for – anything that promised better health, more money or a longer life, with little regard to evidence or even common sense. Generation upon generation upon generation have been disappointed. But that hasn’t stopped us from falling for the latest fad. 1,400 words and photos. By Jon Fahey.

AMERICAN OBJECTS:

—America 250-Objects-Capitol Steps, by Jack Auresto.

—America 250-Objects-Red Solo Cup, by Josh Hoffner.

—America 250-Objects-Moon Lander, by Marcia Dunn.

—America 250-Objects-Captain America’s Shield, by Shawn Chen.

—America 250-Objects-The Mall.

AMERICAN GRAB BAG:

AMERICA 250-APPROPRIATED SYMBOLS

Words such as “freedom” and “patriot” have always been associated with Americans’ pride in their country. In the age of Donald Trump and his MAGA movement, they’ve been politicized — as has the American flag. Some now see them more as symbols of division than of unity. By Sean Murphy.

—AMERICA 250-TIMES SQUARE

—AMERICA 250-TALL SHIPS

—AMERICA 250-TIME CAPSULE

—AMERICA 250-DOCUMENTS TOUR-MICHIGAN AND WASHINGTON STATE

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AUGUST:

AMERICA 250-THE ROAD

For a nation founded by people who made the choice to be on the move, the roads of America have always been important. But over the past 125 years, as the automobile gave rise to a roadside culture that it then bypassed with massive, limited-access interstate highways, the American road became a fundamental cornerstone of the culture it cut through. Text, photos and video. By Travis Loller.

AMERICA 250-THE MEANING OF WHITENESS

They were French, and English, and Scottish and German, and later, Italian and Irish and Polish and others too. Communities that in their European homelands would never have thought of themselves as being part of the same group. But in an America, where slavery was based on being “Black” and access to land and property meant not being Native American, being “white” mattered, too. It is both an encompassing and flattening identity, allowing for privilege even as those brought into the fold had to sometimes fight to be included. And the political activism and demographic realities of recent years have given rise to new questions about what it’s going to mean moving forward. UPCOMING: 1,500 words, video and photos. By Deepti Hajela.

AMERICAN OBJECTS:

—America 250-Objects-Blue Jeans, by Michael Liedtke.

—America 250-Objects-Green Book, by Aaron Morrison.

—America 250-Objects-Takeout Container, by Deepti Hajela.

—America 250-Objects-The Post Road, by Ted Anthony.

—America 250-Objects-Union Card.

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SEPTEMBER:

AMERICA 250-THE REENACTORS

They come together to bring American history back to life — with their own approaches, their own passions and their own biases. They brought back to life myriad moments — from the Revolutionary War to the 19th-century version of baseball. What draws so many Americans to summoning the past and losing themselves in its trappings? 1,400 words and photos, video. By Michael Casey.

AMERICA 250-THREE ZIP CODES

We use a random number generator to pick three very different ZIP codes in the United States, then go there to talk to people and look at where American life stands on its 250th anniversary. 1,500 words and photos, video. By Associated Press staffers.

AMERICAN OBJECTS:

—America 250-Objects-The Oscar Statuette. By Anthony McCartney.

—America 250-Objects-The Cigarette. By Mike Stobbe.

—American Objects-Church Fan, by Aaron Morrison.

—American Objects-Chinatown.

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OCTOBER:

AMERICAN OBJECTS:

—American Objects-Teddy Bear, by Terry Tang.

—American Objects-PowerPoint, by Ted Anthony.

—American Objects-The Remote Control, by David Bauder.

—American Objects-The Supermarket, by Ted Anthony.

—American Objects-The Rachel, by Sophia Rosenbaum.

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KEY CONTACTS:

—Project Manager: Ted Anthony tanthony@ap.org

—Co-Project Manager: Holly Meyer hmeyer@ap.org

—Planning: Lisa Matthews lmatthews@ap.org

—Photo/Visuals: Caleb Jones, cjones@ap.org

—Video: Jack Auresto, jauresto@ap.org

—Washington Spot Coverage (particularly June and July): Zeke Miller, zmiller@ap.org

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PUBLISHED:

AMERICA 250-DEMOCRACY America’s 250th anniversary arrives at a time of deep political divisions and, in some quarters, heightened anxiety over whether representative government in the world’s oldest democracy can be sustained. If there is any place the bitter partisanship is set aside, even temporarily, it is in the rotunda of the National Archives, which houses the document that will be commemorated this year, the Declaration of Independence. Text, photo, video. Published.

AMERICA 250-DOCUMENTS TOUR Some of the country’s most important historical records have hit the road. Typically housed in highly controlled vaults at the National Archives in Washington, documents such as the 1783 Treaty of Paris that formally ended the Revolutionary War will be part of a traveling exhibit that begins Monday when the plane carrying them leaves the nation’s capital for an eight-city tour. Text, photo, video. Published.

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DOCUMENTS TOUR — DATES FOR LIVE COVERAGE:

—Atlanta: Atlanta History Center. Landing March 23.

—Los Angeles: Landing April 13.

—Houston: Landing May 4.

—Denver: Landing May 26.

—Miami: Landing June 15.

—Dearborn, Michigan: Landing July 6.

—Seattle: Landing July 27

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