America 250 Independence Day Washington

President Donald Trump’s plans to commemorate America’s 250th anniversary of independence with a rally on the National Mall have been complicated by severe storms that have gathered near Washington, forcing event organizers to order an evacuation. Severe weather also prompted the cancellation of celebrations in Connecticut and Pennsylvania. New York and Pittsburgh moved forward with fireworks but shifted the time to accommodate the shifting weather. Anticipation for the milestone holiday has been building for much of the year, serving as an opportunity for Americans to reflect on their complicated history as onetime colonists of an empire who became a superpower of their own.