The Bicentennial Freedom Train
There was a mixture of excitement and reverence in the air during the summer of 1976 when my grandfather took me to Huntsville to tour the American Freedom Train, a traveling museum celebrating our nation’s Bicentennial. It was the hottest ticket in America. Crowds stood in line for hours to walk through its 26 cars, 10 of which were the museum display cars and 2 as viewing cars fitted with large windows so crowds outside could see the treasures inside. People lined the tracks for miles just to wave and cheer as the red, white, and blue engines thundered past.
To be honest, I was just as excited to be aboard a real train as I was by the exhibits themselves. The main memories that stuck with me were seeing Abraham Lincoln’s stovepipe hat and Dorothy’s gingham dress from The Wizard of Oz. My brother remembers being amazed by Wilt Chamberlain’s giant shoes.
As I held Granddaddy’s hand, I could tell he was a bit overcome with emotion, as we passed authentic American treasures. Having lived through the Great Depression and then standing in front of an astronaut’s space suit and George Washington’s personal copy of the Constitution was meaningful, to say the least.
Now, fifty years later, we find ourselves celebrating the Semiquincentennial, yet the country’s atmosphere is different. The world wasn’t perfect in 1976, but at least people were able to stand together and honor their country with a fun exhibit.
I can’t help but wonder: could a train carrying such precious national artifacts even make it safely across the country today? Would people boycott it, or worse, vandalize the historic treasures? Sadly, I think they would. It begs the question: What has changed, and where did we go wrong?
Part of the answer lies in how we connect—or fail to connect. Today, we know more about tiny countries on the other side of the world than we do about the people in our own town. We don’t just carry our own burdens; we absorb and internalize the trauma of the entire globe. Through our screens, we are bombarded with crime, hunger, violence, injustice, and disaster from places we once barely knew existed, but we don’t know that our neighbor next door just had surgery and could use a casserole.
Many Americans no longer connect through church or even civic groups. We’re afraid to venture out to the shopping mall or movie theater, so we stay home alone and watch more sad news.
It is an overload of heartbreak and frustration that the human brain was never meant to bear. Even when we are safe, well-fed, and at peace in our own immediate surroundings, we are constantly hit with a digital wave of doom. Some handle this weight by leaning into faith, doing what they can, and turning the rest over to God. Others internalize the hopelessness, letting it suffocate them until it manifests and spews out as bitter hatred.
I wish we had another Freedom Train for the 250th birthday of America. And I wish the people viewing it would have the same Spirit of ’76 . Perhaps if we all close our eyes and blow out the 250 candles on America’s cake, we’ll get our wish and the train of freedom and civility will someday roll again.
What do you think? Is information overload and lack of connection to blame for our current state of affairs, or is it something else? How will you celebrate the Semiquincentennial?
