America 250 at Benjamin Franklin House

July 4th 2026 marks the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the founding of the United States of America.

Benjamin Franklin was not only one of the five drafters and fifty-six signers of the Declaration, he is the only Founding Father to have signed all three foundational documents of the United States; the Declaration of Independence, the Treaty of Paris, and the U.S. Constitution.

The journey toward this historic milestone, America 250, is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to not only reflect on the nation’s past but to celebrate the many achievements of one of their most distinguished citizens.

Benjamin Franklin has had many nicknames during and after his life time, from the ‘Water American’ to the ‘Newton of Electricity’ but perhaps the most pertinent was ‘The First American.’

Here at Benjamin Franklin House we have been busy commemorating key milestones in the lead up to the signing of the Declaration;

In 2024, we celebrated the 250th anniversary of the Coercive Acts, the British response to the Boston Tea Party, in collaboration with the National Archives and DAR.

So far in 2025, we held a farewell party for Benjamin Franklin, marking 250 years since he left London for the final time in March 1775. From April, we launched a brand-new American History in London Walking Tour, to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the start of the American Revolutionary War.