The Semiquincentennial
July 4, 1776 — July 4, 2026
Two hundred and fifty years ago, thirteen colonies declared themselves free. This is the American story told the way WarExplorer knows how — through the conflicts that founded, tested, and shaped the nation.
The war that started it all
Born from disputes over taxation and representation, a colonial rebellion became a global war — and a new kind of country. Explore it in full:
From the shot heard round the world to the surrender at Yorktown — the full narrative, chapter by chapter.
Lexington, Bunker Hill, Saratoga, Yorktown — every major engagement mapped and told.
Washington, Franklin, Cornwallis, Lafayette — the people who made and fought the Revolution.
Independence was not free. The human toll of eight years of war, visualized.
1754 — 2026
Every American conflict on WarExplorer, in order — with the civic milestones that happened between the wars.
July 4 — the birthday itself. Fifty-six delegates pledge their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor.
"We the People" — the framework that has governed the republic for nearly two and a half centuries.
Jefferson doubles the size of the country for $15 million, without firing a shot.
Lincoln redefines the war — and the nation — as a struggle for freedom.
East meets West at Promontory Summit; the frontier begins to close.
American women win the vote — the largest single expansion of democracy in U.S. history.
A flag on the Moon — the Cold War's most peaceful victory.