As the United States turns 250 there is bitter rivalry over who gets to tell the country’s story

George Washington statue outside Independence Hall in Philadelphia, where the Declaration of Independence and US Constitution were signed. EWY Media / Shutterstock

The 250th anniversary of the US Declaration of Independence has become yet another flashpoint in a politically divided America. There are even two different government organisations overseeing the celebrations.

The United States Semiquincentennial Commission was set up by the US Congress in 2016 as a bipartisan body to oversee the semiquincentennial celebration and signed into law by Barack Obama. They branded the celebration as America250 and set to work to plan the national jamboree.