250 Years of America | A WTOP Retrospective

As the nation marks its 250th anniversary, WTOP presents “250 Years of America,” a multipart series examining the innovations, breakthroughs and pivotal moments that have shaped the United States since 1776.

WTOP journalists bring you powerful stories and expert insights across seven defining pillars of American progress: federal workforce, defense, energy, transportation, healthcare, technology and homeownership.

Together, these stories trace how the country has grown, adapted and built lasting legacies over two and a half centuries.

“250 Years of America” offers a timely look at where we’ve been, how we got here and what they mean for America’s future — and ours.

 

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America 250: Defense submarines and the rise of undersea warfare

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America 250: From quills to quality of life, federal health has transformed over the years

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America 250: How 3D technology is reinventing homebuilding

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America 250: Railroads on the rise in the 1850s

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America 250: The rise of workplace wellness as a national priority

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America 250: Fueled by gasoline: How the Interstate Highway System remade American life

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Cherry Blossom Festival visitors will be steered away from hundreds of new trees

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IndyCar street race planned for National Mall as part of America’s 250th birthday 

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America 250: The telegraph and the birth of real-time military command

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America 250: A woman’s place is where her nation needs her

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America 250: Revisiting the iconic TV homes that shaped American culture

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America 250: How America safeguarded its founding documents

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America 250: Erie Canal transformed US trade and fueled nation’s growth

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America 250: Civil War medicine and the pioneers who shaped care

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'Much work to be done': Descendant of Frederick Douglass reflects on 250th anniversary of US

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America 250: Energy states: Oil and natural gas help shape regional economies

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America 250: Ironclads: When the US Navy entered the Industrial Age

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America 250: The first vaccine mandate started with George Washington 

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America 250: 20 years of Zillow, the site that transformed home buying

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America 250: Great Seal of the United States and authentication

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Iconic American flags on display together marking anniversary of Iwo Jima

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America 250: How Cumberland Road became the blueprint for the interstate highway system

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America 250: The birth of America’s first dental school

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America 250: Before oil, America ran on wood, water and muscle

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