The US turns 250 - What Can We Expect? (Interview with Dr. Alexander "Xan" Karn (Colgate University))

It's time to party! 🎉 Next year, the US turns 250 years old. The celebration of the so-called "Semiquincentennial" has been in the planning phase for 9 years at this point - but we don't know what to expect, because what started under the Obama administration has slowly morphed into a MAGA project. Historian Dr. Alexander "Xan" Karn talks with us about how anniversaries shape our memory of historic events, about American patriotism and the distortion of history by "memory trolls."If you want to learn more about Xan's research & future projects, you can follow him on Mastodon (@[email protected]) or on his website xankarn.net.00:00 - 06:21: Introduction: The 250th birthday of the Army in 2025 and the No Kings protests06:21 - 13:58: What is the Semiquincentennial and why should we care?13:59 - 21:15: The Hollywood-ification of history and liberal kitsch21:16 - 30:10: The MAGA version of history30:11 - 35:44: Behind-the-scenes drama in the planning process35:45 - 40:45: What is a memory troll?40:46 - 01:01:03: Is non-traditional patriotism possible in a politically divided country?01:01:04 - 01:04:49: Past birthdays of the United States and why this one is different01:04:50 - 01:07:38: Hamilton - a MAGA musical?01:07:39 - 01:10:21: Xan's future projects