What is President Trump’s Freedom 250? It’s different from America250.
What is Freedom 250 — a White House-backed group that supports Fourth of July events on the National Mall and the Great American State Fair.
PHILADELPHIA — On July 2, a select group of members of Congress returned to the place where it all happened, 250 years ago to today.
The Continental Congress formally proclaimed freedom on July 2, 1776, in a special session of Congress held in Philadelphia’s Congress Hall in Independence National Park.
That day, they approved a resolution by Richard Henry Lee of Virginia asserting that “these United Colonies are, and ought to be, free and independent nations, and that they are exempted from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political relations between them and the British State are and should be completely dissolved.”
Billed as a bipartisan event, the ceremony, hosted by Brendan Boyle, a Philadelphia Democrat whose district includes the area around Independence Hall, drew about 30 members of Congress.
Among them were Democratic Sen. Andy Kim, New Jersey Reps. Bonnie Watson Coleman, Robert Menendez Jr., and Donald Norcross. Republican Rep. Randy Fine of Florida, Republican Rep. Robert Aderholt of Alabama, Mr. Boyle’s fellow Pennsylvania senators, and Republican Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick and Glenn “GT” Thompson.
On a record-breaking 103-degree sweltering day, Thompson convened a meeting for immediate orders at 3 p.m. ET in the Congress Hall room used by Congress from 1790 to 1800, when Philadelphia was the nation’s capital.
Boyle, a native Philadelphian whose father worked as a cleaner for regional transit agency SEPTA, said in a June 11 statement announcing the event that she started the initiative two years ago. The goal was to bring a bipartisan group of lawmakers to Philadelphia, hoping it would be “a moment of unity for Congress and our country at a time when we need it most.”
The meeting in Parliament Hall was only the second time since 1800 that MPs returned to the venue for a meeting. The other was his 200th birthday in 1976, one year before Boyle was born.
“In this very place, an idea became a declaration,” Fitzpatrick said in his convocation address. “This is precisely where America’s work began.”
“In this hallowed space, let us awaken to the solemn duty proclaimed here 250 years ago… to keep America worthy of the freedoms we have received,” Fitzpatrick said.
Boyle continued, “As a proud born-and-bred Philadelphian, it was important to me to first highlight our city’s role in American independence. It was also important to me to bring Democratic and Republican members back here to a room that literally reminds us of this, because there are very few opportunities in Congress for Democratic and Republican members to come together in a bipartisan setting for a bipartisan purpose.”
Outside the historic building, the Red, White and Blue To-Do parade ended, but its route was cut short due to the intense heat and humidity. Tourists guzzled water as they lined up along Independence Mall, which also includes attractions such as the Liberty Bell and the National Constitution Center.
There were other reminders of Congress’ true purpose, some less subtle than others.
House Majority Leader Hakeem Jeffries detailed America’s grievances against King George III, saying he “obstructs the administration of justice, cuts off trade with the world, sends officials to harass our people, obstructs efforts to naturalize our people, and seeks to elevate the military above civilian power.”
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Jeffries said that when the Founding Fathers wrote the Constitution, they envisioned Congress as an independent and equal branch of government, not subordinate to the executive branch.
“Let us never forget that we are not working for anyone, there is no king in America, we are working exclusively for the American people,” he continued, repeating a phrase often used by groups opposed to the Trump administration.
The United States, whose Constitution was written by white people, struggled to live up to its founding ideals during a time of slavery and forced removal of Native Americans. But Jeffries said the promise of freedom is “a beacon that keeps us striving for a more perfect union.”
Not far away, a battle over how to teach a difficult chapter in American history continues in the presidential palace, where George Washington lived during his presidency and Philadelphia was the nation’s capital. Some references to George Washington’s ownership of enslaved people have been removed by the Trump administration, which is proposing its own signage.
Rosie Rios, chair of the America 250 Semicentennial Commission, a bipartisan group appointed by President Joe Biden, said she has served on the commission through several administrations. “I’m the American Dream,” said the daughter of immigrants and a single mother of nine children of different political backgrounds.
The commission served as a reminder to Americans that “there are moments that are bigger than politics,” such as celebrating the 250th anniversary, she said.
Bonnie Watson Coleman, one of the many committee members in attendance, urged Americans to “think honestly about where we have been as a people and what we want to pass on to future generations.”
The Declaration of Independence was a landmark moment in human history, with its assertion that all men are created equal. But Watson Coleman, a Black woman, said that for the Founding Fathers, “people who looked like me were not a consideration.”
“For the 57 white men who signed the Declaration of Independence, their rights and freedoms were not a priority; they all said so.” male They are created equal. ”
That makes it all the more important to recognize the progress that has been made, she said, adding, “We must remember that I am here in this hallowed hall and speaking from this standpoint. … We have made progress, but there is still much work to do.”
Phaedra Torresan is a national correspondent for USA TODAY and writes about history and Americana. Email us at ptrethan@usatoday.com, X @wordsbyphaedra, BlueSky @byphaedra, or Threads @by_phaedra..
