Washington, July 4 (IANS) PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP proclaimed July 4, 2026, as the 250th anniversary of the adoption of the US Declaration of Independence, calling it a celebration of America's founding ideals and urging citizens to observe the milestone with ceremonies honouring the nation's history, heritage and achievements.

In a presidential proclamation issued on the eve of Independence Day, Trump described the Declaration of Independence as a timeless charter of freedom and said the country's founding principles continue to guide the United States after two-and-a-half centuries.

"Today, as one American People, we celebrate and carry forward the spirit our Founders kindled in Philadelphia and enshrined in the Declaration of Independence — and with God's help, we will prevail in making our beloved Nation stronger, prouder, richer, and greater than ever before," Trump said.

The proclamation traces the origins of American independence to July 1776, when the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration drafted principally by Thomas Jefferson after a resolution introduced by Richard Henry Lee of Virginia calling for independence from British rule.

Trump highlighted the Declaration's central assertion "that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, and that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness."

The proclamation also recounts key moments of the American Revolution, including the battles of Lexington and Concord, Bunker Hill, the crossing of the Delaware River, the winter at Valley Forge and the victory at Yorktown. It credits those events with securing American independence and shaping what Trump described as a national spirit of "faith, grit, adventure, courage, resolve, and self-determination".

Looking beyond the country's founding, Trump cited the preservation of the Union during the Civil War, the abolition of slavery, industrial expansion, victories in the two World Wars, the Moon landing and technological innovation as defining chapters in the nation's development.

He argued that American innovation had transformed the world through inventions including the telephone, the personal computer and the internet, while also praising advances in science and medicine.

The President used the anniversary proclamation to outline his administration's vision for the future, saying the United States would "continue to reclaim our sovereignty, restore our territorial integrity, defend the God-given liberty proclaimed at our founding, and guard the proud heritage, history, and culture that have made our Nation a wonder for the ages."

He also pointed to future ambitions in space exploration, artificial intelligence, quantum research and energy development, saying, "We will continue to adventure into the cosmos, returning Americans to the lunar surface for all time to come and charging ahead to plant the Stars and Stripes among the red dunes of Mars."

In his proclamation, Trump declared July 4, 2026, as the "250th Anniversary of the Adoption of the Declaration of Independence," and urged Americans to "proudly observe this day with all due ceremony to honor the glorious heritage, history, and accomplishments of our beloved Republic."

The United States has been marking the semiquincentennial through a series of nationwide events under the broader America250 initiative, a congressionally established programme intended to commemorate 250 years since the nation's founding. Federal agencies, states, local communities and cultural institutions have planned ceremonies, exhibitions and educational programmes throughout the anniversary year.

[KS]

--IANS

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