When the United States celebrated its bicentennial, the nation was finally breaking free of its Watergate fever, and it was seemingly ready to begin a new chapter. Our long slog in Viet Nam had ended and tri-color bunting seemed to be everywhere. The country was ready to forge ahead and there was no better excuse to celebrate than our bicentennial. We were 200 years old.
Today, fifty years later, the country is on the verge of marking its semiquincentennial, its 250th birthday. And while the bunting that bathed a nation a half century ago is more muted, so too, is the ‘spirit of ’76.’ Today the country seems to be trapped between dreams and dystopia, caught in a vortex of competing and contradictory forces.
Nowhere is this rift more pronounced than between rich versus poor.
In 1976, J. Paul Getty, thought to be the richest man in the world, had an estimated wealth somewhere between $2 billion and $4 billion. Today, his wealth would rank him near the bottom in the ‘billionaire club.’ In fact, today Elon Musk has achieved trillionaire or near trillionaire status. Other Americans, including Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos are all triple-digit billionaires.
In the bicentennial year, the gap between rich and poor has changed but only minutely. In 1976, TIME Magazine, using U.S. Census data, estimated the nation’s poverty rate at 12 percent or 25 million people. Today’s poverty rate has dropped, but only slightly. In 2026, U.S. poverty is stuck at approximately 11 percent or 40 million people.
Ironically, immigration has become one of our country’s biggest challenges. Despite countless stories about Ellis Island and the millions of immigrants who have passed through and despite the message inscribed on its pedestal of ‘the New Colossus,’ the Statue of Liberty, welcoming immigrants, the country is today locking up and deporting hundreds of thousands of new and long-time immigrants yearly.
The battle is fierce and waged nearly every day in nearly every state with no end in sight.
In 1976, the country was in its first decade of The Voting Rights Act. But in April of this year, the U.S. Supreme Court essentially erased it, knocking out a foundational pillar that had protected against racial discrimination in voting.
In 2026, Roe V. Wade, the law protecting a woman’s right to abortion no longer exists. The Supreme Court ended it almost exactly two years earlier when it ruled that the right no longer exists. Women can still choose to end a pregnancy, but in some states, they will have to travel to another state. Colorado remains a state where abortion remains legal.
But while the Court has delivered a number of defeats for individual rights, a 2026 right that did not exist in the year of our bicentennial was a ruling affirming gay marriage. But in 2015, in a 5-4 ruling, often referred to as Obergfell v. Hodges, same sex marriage in all fifty states, the District of Columbia and all U.S. territories was declared legal. Today, an estimated 800,000 same sex marriages have taken place since the ruling.
While he said he has never performed a same sex marriage, longtime Colorado District Judge Dennis Maes said, “I would do it.” Maes, for whom Pueblo’s judicial building is named, also said the SCOTUS ruling allowing same sex couples to wed “is a long time coming but also says a lot for the character of the United States.”
But while Maes applauds the Obergfell ruling as the right thing to do, he quickly shares his concerns about the end of Roe v. Wade, the diminution of The Voting Rights Act and other high court decisions. “I’m a little concerned with the Supreme Court striking down so many rights.” The retired jurist says our rights “are sacrosanct,” and taking them away “is damaging to equality.”
For a testament to American resolve and resilience, one need look no farther than our own state. In 1976, just as we were engulfed in bicentennial fever and ready to officially mark our own one hundredth year, Colorado suffered what may be our worst ever natural disaster.
In fact, just minutes before our official birthday, Colorado Day, August 1st, 1976, rain of nearly biblical proportion hit near the resort town of Estes Park in Larimer County. It is estimated that as much as 15 inches of rain fell in a four-hour period.
Meteorologists say the flood may be as close to ‘a perfect storm’ as any. It was the convergence of a shortwave trough, a polar front and cold front that extended across the entire valley. Others have attributed it to a microburst, a weather anomaly where sinking air within a thunderstorm produces a sudden, powerful burst of wind—sometimes measured at 100 mph— when it hits the ground.
The deluge over the Big Thompson River created a wall of water, cresting as high as 30 feet. As it rushed down the canyon it swept away campers, wildlife and anything else in its path. An estimated 80 campers were trapped as a result of the flooding and had to be airlifted to safety.
The human toll was 143 deaths including a single state trooper who was caught in the tsunami-like wake as he tried to warn people to evacuate. Five people remain unaccounted for.
The Big Thompson Flood caused an estimated $150 million (today’s dollars) in damages. It is Colorado’s worst ever natural disaster. Today, the area has been rebuilt and remains one of the state’s premier tourist locales.
But while there may be things out of our control, including court rulings and weather, the nation still has plenty to celebrate as we turn 250. And History Colorado is providing opportunities to learn about our state all across the state. And no matter where you are, in Colorado or somewhere else, big town or small, it’ll be a time to make a ‘toast to 250.’ “This Independence Day is special, celebrating America’s 250th birthday, Colorado’s 150th birthday and our pride here in Pueblo,” said Pueblo Mayor Heather Graham. History Colorado is also providing opportunities to learn about our state all across the state.
“History Colorado is eager to join together with our communities and our neighbors to recognize this significant anniversary,” said Dawn Prince, History Colorado President and CEO. All History Colorado sites will be hosting events and exhibits at all eleven of its locations. “We hope community members across Colorado will join us for free museum admission and special activities.”
