Bicentennial: A Revolutionary History of the 1970s

“Utterly illuminating. . . . Just a really revelatory book.”―Jill Lepore, The New York Times, The “Book Review” Podcast • “As historian Stein traces in Bicentennial, a national birthday can launch a much broader, more inclusive, and ambitious national project.”―Rebecca Brenner Graham, The New Republic • “A comprehensive and critical look at the Spirit of 1976.”―Library Journal As the United States marks its semiquincentennial in 2026, renowned historian Marc Stein looks back at the politics of another landmark celebration during a time of striking similarities and surprising differences: the US bicentennial in 1976. In the aftermath of Vietnam and Watergate, the bicentennial sparked an extraordinary national conversation about the country’s past, present, and future. As patriots, planners, profiteers, and protesters argued about how to commemorate the national birthday, they collectively reimagined the promises and perils of democracy during a transformational decade. From award-winning historian Marc Stein, Bicentennial: A Revolutionary History of the 1970s is an original, illuminating, and insightful study of that era.