Celebrating America’s Bicentennial at Colonial Williamsburg
Explore how Colonial Williamsburg helped commemorate America’s 200th birthday in 1976.
Drummer (1976) by The Colonial Williamsburg FoundationThe Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
In 1976, people across the United States celebrated the bicentennial of American independence. Colonial Williamsburg, the largest U.S. history museum in the world, helped to lead these commemorations.
The Fords in Colonial Williamsburg (1976) by The Colonial Williamsburg FoundationThe Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
President Gerald Ford visits
In January, President Gerald Ford and First Lady Betty Ford visited Colonial Williamsburg. During their visit, they enjoyed a carriage ride through Colonial Williamsburg’s Historic Area.
President Ford at the Capitol (1976) by The Colonial Williamsburg FoundationThe Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
At the Capitol building, President Ford addressed a special session of the Virginia legislature. He delivered the speech in front of the historic chair belonging to the Speaker of the House of Burgesses.
Colonial Williamsburg Fifes and Drums (1976) by The Colonial Williamsburg FoundationThe Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
Washington’s Birthday
In February, Colonial Williamsburg marked President George Washington’s birthday with a performance by the Fife and Drum Corps and interpreters portraying the colonial militia at Market Square Green.
The Fifth Virginia Convention’s call for independence
In Colonial Williamsburg’s reconstructed Capitol building, Supreme Court Justice Lewis Powell, chairman of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, led commemorations of the May 15, 1776, resolution proposing American independence.
Declaring independence
Other important anniversaries recognized include the adoption of George Mason’s Declaration of Rights on June 12 and Independence Day. The first reading of the Declaration of Independence in Williamsburg on July 25 was re-enacted at the Courthouse.
Presidential Debate
President Ford returned to Williamsburg in October for a debate with Jimmy Carter. This promotional image spoofs the event by dressing both in 18th-century style.
The Fords stayed at the Lightfoot House, while the Carters stayed at the Lodge—both Colonial Williamsburg properties.
Nelson Rockefeller (1976) by Dan SpanglerThe Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
Nelson Rockefeller
Sitting Vice President Nelson Rockefeller, the son of Colonial Williamsburg’s founder John D. Rockefeller Jr., was among a string of distinguished visitors. Here, he greets an interpreter in the Historic Area.
Urho Kekkonen (1976) by The Colonial Williamsburg FoundationThe Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
Diplomatic visitors
International heads of state also travelled to Colonial Williamsburg for the celebrations.
Shirley Temple Black, former actress and then Chief of Protocol of the United States, accompanied these visits. Here she leads President Urho Kekkonen of Finland through the Palace Gardens.
William Tolbert (1976) by Dan SpanglerThe Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
President Tolbert
President William Tolbert of Liberia (left, in white) visited Colonial Williamsburg in September. Among other stops, he enjoyed a demonstration of eighteenth-century paper marbling techniques.
Carl XVI Gustaf (1976) by The Colonial Williamsburg FoundationThe Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
Royal caliber
Other notable visitors in 1976 included Chancellor Helmut Schmidt of West Germany, President William R. Tolbert of Liberia, and King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, pictured here at the Gunsmith Shop.
Earl of Dunmore (1976) by Dan SpanglerThe Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
The British delegation
A British delegation of more than a dozen visitors arrived in May. They included the Earl of Dunmore, who was a descendant of the last royal governor of Virginia. He is pictured here on a carriage ride, wearing the traditional tartan kilt of his Scottish family.
A second anniversary
In addition to being the 200th birthday of the United States, 1976 also marked the 50th anniversary of Colonial Williamsburg.
Ice Sculpture (1976) by Dan spanglerThe Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
Fifty years of Colonial Williamsburg
Colonial Williamsburg celebrated its birthday with a party for employees and volunteers in a tent outside the Governor’s Palace.
Employee Celebration (1976) by Dan SpanglerThe Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
Gardener Ivan Johnson (center), the Colonial Williamsburg employee with the longest active tenure at the time (45 years), cut the 50th anniversary cake during the employee reception.
A turning point
The Bicentennial was more than a celebration of American independence. Colonial Williamsburg invited visitors to reflect on the meaning of the American Revolution.
The Bicentennial prompted reflection on America’s history, and whose stories are included.
"The Other Half" tour (1984) by The Colonial Williamsburg FoundationThe Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
In the following years, Colonial Williamsburg expanded its focus. Rex Ellis, shown here, was the first to lead the Department of African American Interpretation at CW. Beginning in the late 1970s, Colonial Williamsburg’s programming focused more on the experiences of enslaved people, women, and other underrepresented groups in the story of the nation's origins.
Learn more
The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation has been researching and telling the story of the origins of the United States for a century. To learn more about CW’s history, go here.
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