WASHINGTON (AP) — In 1976’s “ Rocky,” heavyweight champion Apollo Creed arrives for the title combat dressed as George Washington, reenacting the crossing of the Delaware as fashions costumed because the Statue of Liberty paved the way.
After coming into the ring, Apollo switches into an Uncle Sam costume. “I would like YOU!” he roars as he factors to Rocky Balboa, the far much less flamboyant palooka he’s chosen for this bicentennial bout in Philadelphia.
Then the 2 boxers pound the daylights out of one another.
It’s as correct a illustration of the American bicentennial vibe as has ever been placed on movie — loads of fireworks, however not a lot thought of how 200 years of independence led to this.
I used to be 13 years previous in 1976. Children my age — the tail finish of the Baby Growth, or the vanguard of Technology X — grew up skeptical of the federal government. We had outlasted the Vietnam War and the Watergate scandal, with the occasional second of pleasure — the moon touchdown, say — to interrupt the gloom. The state of the union was intact, even when many People had been nonetheless on edge.
My household lived in Newport Information, Virginia, not removed from the Historic Triangle of Jamestown, Yorktown and Williamsburg. So there was loads of buzz surrounding the bicentennial. President Gerald Ford and his spouse, Betty, took a carriage journey by Colonial Williamsburg, overseas leaders came visiting, and the dwelling museum recurrently staged reenactments of the occasions main as much as the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Ford and loads of different dignitaries went to New York for what the president known as “the best Fourth of July any of us will ever see.” Operation Sail was a floating parade of 16 tall ships and greater than 100 smaller vessels from around the globe — together with, even, the Soviet Union. It was a boon for the beleaguered Huge Apple, proving that “New Yorkers might get alongside, even throughout tough instances,” in keeping with the Gotham Middle for New York Historical past.
Ships take part in Operation Sail between the Statue of Liberty and the World Commerce Middle to have fun the U.S. bicentennial in New York on July 4, 1976. (AP Picture/Eddie Adams, File)
All aboard the Freedom Train
For historical past buffs who couldn’t make the journey east, there was the American Freedom Train, a 26-car behemoth that toured all 48 contiguous states. It displayed two centuries of artifacts like George Washington’s copy of the Structure, the unique Louisiana Buy, Judy Garland’s gown from “The Wizard of Oz” and a moon rock. Merle Haggard even launched a music about it.
I had a nifty 3D poster of the Freedom Train on my bed room wall. A distinct poster captured everybody’s eye later in 1976 — one that includes “Charlie’s Angels” star Farrah Fawcett-Majors.
It’s patriotic in its personal means. There’s Farrah, sporting huge hair, a blinding white smile and a crimson swimsuit, posed in entrance of a crimson, white and blue blanket. The shade scheme could not have been intentional, but it surely would possibly as nicely be titled “All-American Woman” for its presentation of what a lot of society noticed as one.
There have been loads of extra deliberate anniversary collectibles on the market. A fast search of eBay in 2026 digs up tons of of collectible plates, glasses, beer mugs and bumper stickers. The authorities unleashed particular quarters, stamps and license plates. And naturally Madison Avenue jumped in, promoting bicentennial cereal, sweet, beer and soda. You possibly can get a completely different 7-Up can for every of the 50 states.
Even the creator of the Pet Rock — the preposterous 1975 phenomenon that was, sure, a rock in a field — tried to get in on the act. That fad, alas, had run its course, and the Bicentennial Pet Rock flopped. You’d have been higher off shopping for a Pez dispenser with the pinnacle of Paul Revere or Betsy Ross.
Broadcast tv — bear in mind, we solely had three networks — was extra subdued. For youths, ABC’s beloved “Schoolhouse Rock!” spun off “America Rock.” However whereas that cartoon did embody some historical past, it’s greatest remembered for the mournful civics lesson “I’m Simply a Invoice.”
Extra outstanding was CBS Information’ “Bicentennial Minute.” Beginning July 4, 1974, barely a month earlier than President Richard Nixon resigned, it ran each night time in prime time, presenting the information from 200 years earlier. It was so unavoidable that sitcoms like “All within the Household” referred to it; “Saturday Night time Stay,” which debuted in 1975, paid tribute with a “Bisexual Minute.”
Nonetheless, all three networks pulled out the stops on July 4, 1976. Walter Cronkite led the pack with 16 hours of protection on CBS, whereas “Bob Hope’s Bicentennial Star-Spangled Spectacular” (“the present that took 200 years to supply”) on NBC celebrated with Sammy Davis Jr., Captain & Tennille and Donny and Marie Osmond.
The unhealthy information bearers
Definitely, not everybody was within the temper to have fun. Richard Pryor launched an influential album whose title was “Bicentennial,” adopted by an ethnic slur. The title observe is a monologue from a 200-year-old slave; it ends with “I ain’t gonna always remember it.” In the identical album’s ”Bicentennial Prayer,” Pryor proclaims, “We’re celebrating 200 years of white of us kickin’ ass.”
Standard music wasn’t in a notably patriotic temper both. Elton John’s 1975 hit “Philadelphia Freedom” grew to become a de facto anthem of kinds, though it’s barely about Philadelphia and is extra about particular person independence.
Certainly, the prevailing pop perspective was: Let’s overlook about this mess we’ve left behind and go to the disco. So the Billboard singles charts had been topped by the likes of Johnnie Taylor’s “Disco Girl,” The Sylvers’ “Boogie Fever,” The Bee Gees’ “You Ought to Be Dancing” and KC and the Sunshine Band’s “(Shake Shake Shake) Shake Your Booty.”
On the album charts, California’s hippie tradition was shaking off its hangover with haunted LPs just like the Eagles’ “Resort California” and Jackson Browne’s “The Pretender.” One thing else was breaking free in New York, although, with aggressive debuts from the Ramones and Blondie. The Ramones’ brand included an eagle holding an olive department and a baseball bat, and their repertoire included the long run stadium anthem “Blitzkrieg Bop.” What might be extra American?
Talking of America’s pastime, I’d be remiss if I didn’t convey up the yr’s funniest film, “The Unhealthy Information Bears.” It’s baseball the way in which it was meant to be performed — by a bunch of foul-mouthed juvenile delinquents coached by a surly, alcoholic has-been embodied by Walter Matthau. Double 50-year-old spoiler alert: Like Rocky, the Bears don’t win ultimately. However they do have enjoyable.
The identical can’t be stated for the characters in most of 1976’s dramatic movies. Hollywood did its greatest to get a patriotic film — the World Battle II epic “Halfway” — in theaters in June, but it surely shortly fizzled. The prime field workplace draw on July 4th was “The Omen,” about an angelic-looking boy who seems to be the Antichrist.
Extra prestigious movies continued to wrestle with the paranoia of the Nixon period. “All of the President’s Males” dramatized The Washington Submit’s investigation of the Watergate scandal. In “Taxi Driver,” a Vietnam Battle veteran plots to assassinate a presidential contender. In “Community,” a TV anchorman urges his viewers to open their home windows and scream, “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore!”
All three are undisputed classics. All three had been nominated for the Finest Image Oscar. All three misplaced to “Rocky.”
