Unless you are almost of retirement age, you likely don’t have much of an idea what it was like in the midst of the nation’s Bicentennial in 1976.
Unlike this year’s sad collection of political speeches and poorly attended events, the celebrations for the country’s 200th Anniversary lasted the entire year. There were hundreds of events nationwide and the commercialization of the Bicentennial reached levels you might typically only find for events such as the Super Bowl.
In fact, there were so many Bicentennial events in Minnesota that Twin Cities PBS was able to fill an entire hour recounting them in the new special Summer Of 76.
And there were a staggering number of Bicentennial events in the state. Ranging from large gathering like Farm Fest, which despite some bad weather drew around 300,000 people to a couple of fields to visit farm-oriented exhibits, sample food and listen to some concerts.
Freedom Fest drew somewhere between 10-20,000 people to its alcohol-free celebration of sobriety, headlined by Dick Van Dyke. As well as a flurry of Bicentennial events tied into the annual state fair.
But thanks to a healthy amount of federal funding and grants, there was a widely diverse collection of smaller programs and performances. Native American poets, African-American dance troupes and every imaginable tie-in with the state’s Scandinavian roots.
The documentary also notes that not everyone was entirely thrilled with the idea of celebrating a country they felt had let them down. From African-Americans who felt the promise of America had yet to fully reach them to veterans of the recently-ended Vietnam War who felt the country had betrayed them, there were a lot of people who had a complicated relationship with the Bicentennial.
And not every attempt to celebrate the Bicentennial has aged well. As the documentary notes, the Schoolhouse Rocks segments devoted to the nation’s history (such as “I Am A Bill”) were often well-received and are still fondly remembered. Others - such as one celebrating Manifest Destiny and the need for the country to expand westward - haven’t aged nearly as well.
However, that tension between who we are as a country and who we want to be really defines the success of America. We aren’t perfect. But we continually strive towards becoming better and those efforts were nicely captured in the 1976 celebrations.
Summer Of ‘76 is a fascinating time capsule into a time that feels almost naive when compared to the world we live in today. But it’s well worth watching, even though the narration tends to be dry and lifeless at times.
I suspect after watching this, you’ll be struck by the same feelings that I was left with after seeing it. We missed out on so many great opportunities to celebrate America this year. And I am more than a bit sad we weren’t able to share that communal experience the way they did in 1976.
Summer Of ‘76 is available to stream on PBS Passport.