It's time to party! 🎉 Next year, the US turns 250 years old. The celebration of the so-called "Semiquincentennial" has been in the planning phase for 9 years at this point - but we don't know what to expect, because what started under the Obama administration has slowly morphed into a MAGA project. Historian Dr. Alexander "Xan" Karn talks with us about how anniversaries shape our memory of historic events, about American patriotism and the distortion of history by "memory trolls."

If you want to learn more about Xan's research & future projects, you can follow him on Mastodon (@xankarn@mastodon.online) or on his website xankarn.net.

00:00 - 06:21: Introduction: The 250th birthday of the Army in 2025 and the No Kings protests

06:21 - 13:58: What is the Semiquincentennial and why should we care?

13:59 - 21:15: The Hollywood-ification of history and liberal kitsch

21:16 - 30:10: The MAGA version of history

30:11 - 35:44: Behind-the-scenes drama in the planning process

35:45 - 40:45: What is a memory troll?

40:46 - 01:01:03: Is non-traditional patriotism possible in a politically divided country?

01:01:04 - 01:04:49: Past birthdays of the United States and why this one is different

01:04:50 - 01:07:38: Hamilton - a MAGA musical?

01:07:39 - 01:10:21: Xan's future projects