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HAPPY SEMIQUINCENTENNIAL, AMERICA!

250 Reasons Why America is Still Worth Celebrating

HERE’S HOW TO FALL BACK IN LOVE WITH AMERICA.

In honor of America’s 250th birthday, here are 250 reasons to celebrate this land of the free and the brave.

Sure our beloved nation is far from perfect. From sea to shining sea there are still challenges to meet and opportunities we have overlooked. But hey. Look how far we’ve come in just 250 years! We’ve added 37 states and there are currently 130 times as many Americans as there was in 1776. Population growth is good, right? We’ve hired 47 presidents, admittedly some better than others. And then there is corn on the cob, Route 66, Philly cheesesteaks, Wrigley Field, greasy spoon diners, SPAM. Are you smiling yet?

In these pages you’ll find a pinch of nostalgia, a dash of travelogue, a burst of patriotism, and even a challenge for all Americans to cherish this country and . . . maybe do better.

Whether you’re a progressive, a conservative, or refuse to be labeled, we invite you to celebrate America’s semiquincentennial. Join us for a much-needed healthy dose of optimism, a dash of silliness, and proof positive that America is still the place you want to call home.

#semiquincentennial
#America250
#1776-2026

Say it until it rolls easily off your tongue, “semiquincentennial, semiquincentennial, semiquincentennial, semiquincentennial,semiquincentennial, semiquincentennial, semiquincentennial, semiquincentennial, semiquincentennial, semiquincentennial, semiquincentennial, semiquincentennial, semiquincentennial, semiquincentennial, semiquincentennial, semiquincentennial, semiquincentennial…”

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Publisher:
Skyhorse Publishing

Praise for HAPPY SEMIQUINCENTENNIAL, AMERICA!

  • I heartily recommend this informative and whimsical celebration of America’s 250th birthday! Can’t wait to get my copy signed by the author—with a big bold autograph!

    - John Hancock, former President of the Continental Congress, first signer of the Declaration of Independence

  • Along with America’s heroes, traditions, destinations, and festivals, I was especially pleased to see a salute to “American Ingenuity.” Naturally, I expected a nod to my assembly line, but many of the other inventions—Play-Doh, Slinkys, Post-It Notes, and so on—were a complete surprise.

    - Henry Ford, American industrialist and founder of the Ford Motor Company

  • Thrilled that my accidental confectionary creation is being recognized as one of 250 things worth celebrating about America in this Semiquincentennial year. Thanks to the author, publisher, and Nestlés!

    - Ruth Graves Wakefield, inventor of the chocolate chip cookie and proprietor of the Toll House Inn, Whitman, Massachusetts

  • Overall, Happy Semiquincentennial, America! is a masterpiece. However, after seeing tributes to my musical peers such as Scott Joplin, John Philip Sousa, and George Gershwin, I rather expected to see my own name as well. Mr. Payleitner, I await your explanation.

    - Cole Porter, composer of Anything Goes, You Do Something to Me, I Get a Kick Out of You, and other unforgettable standards

  • I loved all 250 entries—especially the road trip idea at #11, the tribute to my favorite movie at #100, and the moving words from my friend Lou Gehrig in the section, “American Oratories.”

    - Abner Doubleday, Union Army Major General and fabled inventor of baseball

  • I cannot endorse this book. The author calls Mount Rushmore “a must for your bucket list,” then has the gall to suggest any feeling of awe might be fleeting. He even questions the value of driving hours through the prairie just to “stare at some giant carved rocks.” Zero stars.

    - Gutzon Borglum, sculptor of Mount Rushmore

  • So glad this celebration of America’s 250th birthday includes an excerpt from my favorite and most quoted speech. Writing this book proves Mr. Payleitner is indeed a “man who is actually in the arena.” A patriotic page turner and a top-tier gift!

    - Theodore Roosevelt, 26th President of the United States

  • Glad to see our new country endured 250 years and has been documented with such glee. I especially appreciate the decade-by-decade breakdown of US history, cultural turning points, and the sublime evolution of American music in the section, “America’s Soundtrack.”

    - Thomas Jefferson, third US President, author of the Declaration, and lifelong violinist.

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