Americans living in 2276 will get a taste of what their ancestors today think best represents the nation thanks to a time capsule to be buried this July 4.
The 400 kilo stainless steel cylinder will go into the ground on Saturday, as the nation marks its 250th birthday, not far from where the Declaration of Independence was signed in Philadelphia state.
It is not supposed to be opened for another 250 years, in 2276.
But it is not the only such gift for US people far off in the future.
Another time capsule scheduled for opening when the United States turns 500 years old was unveiled a few days ago in Washington.
The contents of the Washington one are not widely known but the capsule due to be buried in Philadelphia near Independence Hall has spilt all its secrets.
All 50 states, five US territories such as Puerto Rico, plus an array of sporting and cultural organisations, have made contributions to this collective national snapshot.
Together it all makes for “a representative record of the United States at 250 years,” said Rosie Rios, chairwoman of America250, the official organisation behind the national commemoration of the anniversary eagle.
Eagle feather and AI
Wisconsin, for instance, has contributed a brown feather. It comes from a bald eagle known as “Old Abe” — named for President Abraham Lincoln — that served as a mascot to Union troops in over 30 battles in the US Civil War.
Ohio has offered a piece of fabric from the wings of the aeroplane built by Wilbur and Orville Wright, the pioneers who made aviation history in 1903 with the first powered, sustained flight.
From Maine comes a bone from the endangered North Atlantic right whale.
Other states opted for the stuff of modern life, such as California, which offers the response from the AI chatbot Claude to this prompt: “Write me a prediction of what California will be like 250 years from July 4, 2026.”
America250, the national, non-partisan organiSation charged by Congress with leading the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, itself has chipped in a late-model orange iPhone.
Other pieces of Americana that made the cut: a bookmark made by the Wabanaki, a Native American tribe; a diamond from Arkansas; a recipe for anis-flavoured cookies from New Mexico; and an Oklahoma City Thunder pin from when the team won the NBA basketball championship in 2025.
