Who Belongs In The Story? Revisiting The Bicentennial of ’76

Neglected Stories: People, History, Movements welcomes renowned historian Marc Stein for a fascinating conversation about his groundbreaking new book, Bicentennial: A Revolutionary History of the 1970s.

As the United States marks its 250th anniversary, Professor Stein takes listeners back to the nation’s 200th birthday in 1976—a celebration remembered for fireworks and patriotic ceremonies, but also a time of intense debate over race, class, gender, sexuality, and the meaning of democracy.

Centered on Philadelphia, the birthplace of the American Revolution, Stein reveals how activists, politicians, and ordinary citizens fought to define who belonged in the American story. From Mayor Frank Rizzo and President Richard Nixon to civil rights, feminist, and LGBTQ+ movements, the Bicentennial became a struggle over the nation’s unfinished promises.

Marc Stein is Professor of U.S. History and Constitutional Law at San Francisco State University and president of the Organization of American Historians.