America the Beautiful: RCLS celebrates America 250: Home

From the America 250 website:

America250’s mission is to celebrate and commemorate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, marking America’s Semiquincentennial. We aim to inspire our fellow Americans to reflect on our past, strengthen our love of country, and renew our commitment to the ideals of democracy through programs that educate, engage, and unite us as a nation. America250 will foster shared experiences that spark imagination, showcase the rich tapestry of our American stories, inspire service in our communities, honor the enduring strength, and celebrate the resilience of the United States of America.

For questions about this resource, contact Joanna Goldfarb at RCLS: jgoldfarb@rcls.org.

America the Beautiful was written by poet Katharine Lee Bates in 1893. Bates, a professor at Wellesley College, penned the poem after a trip to Pike's Peak in Colorado. Bates later wrote that she was inspired by ""the sea-like expanse of fertile country . . . under those ample skies," and "the opening lines of the hymn floated into my mind." 

To learn more, visit The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History

Did you know? America the Beautiful is the the Public Domain.

AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL BY KATHERINE LEE BATES

O beautiful for spacious skies,
   For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
   Above the fruited plain!
      America!  America!
   God shed His grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
   From sea to shining sea!

O beautiful for pilgrim feet,
   Whose stern, impassioned stress
A thoroughfare for freedom beat
   Across the wilderness!
      America! America!
   God mend thine every flaw,
Confirm thy soul in self-control,
   Thy liberty in law!

O beautiful for heroes proved
   In liberating strife,
Who more than self their country loved,
   And mercy more than life!
      America!  America!
   May God thy gold refine
Till all success be nobleness,
   And every gain divine!

O beautiful for patriot dream
   That sees beyond the years
Thine alabaster cities gleam
   Undimmed by human tears!
      America!  America!
   God shed His grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood
   From sea to shining sea!

We hope you use this guide to enhance your programming throughout the year. You can use programs as-is, change them up as needed, or not use them at all. You may also choose to use the programs but hold them during a different time of year. This program guide is broken down by month, with each month having a different theme. Each month will have program ideas for children, teens, and adults that include a program description, list of materials, directions, and more. 

In addition to program ideas, each tab has helpful resources on the monthly theme. These resources may inspire additional programs or community resources. The possibilities are endless!

If you choose to use programs and/or resources in this guide, please complete the monthly impact survey. This will help us measure the effectiveness of this guide, and if similar resources should be created for member libraries in the future. Surveys completed early in the year may even help us improve program ideas and resources for the later months of this guide.

Branding Guidelines
The RCLS America250 logo set comes in two versions: one with a white background for clean, high-contrast layouts, and one with a transparent background for flexible use across graphics, photos, and web elements. The color palette draws from classic American colors, giving the design a bold, patriotic feel. Typography uses Montserrat Bold for “RCLS” and “250,” paired with Open Sans Bold for “ANNIVERSARY” and “AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL.” Please feel free to use these fonts at your discretion.

Color Palette

Red: HEX: #B22234

White: HEX: #FFFFFF

Blue: HEX: #0D1C8C