250 stories. 250 years.
One of them is yours.

Thank you for being part of this project. We're collecting 250 personal stories from across the country to mark America's 250th anniversary: a portrait of the nation told through the people who make it up.

This form takes about 10 to 15 minutes. Answer as much or as little as feels right. There are no wrong answers, and our team may follow up to ask a clarifying question or two before your story goes live.

Section 1About you

Used for the interactive map and identity filters on our website.

Optional. Leave blank if you'd rather not share.

Write "multiple" if mixed heritage. Feel free to list all that apply.

Generation in the US
Which of these describe your story? (Select all that apply)
Section 2Your family's story

Their arrival, or, if multi-generational, what's known about how your family came to be in the US.

A detail, not a summary. The more specific, the better.

Section 3Identity & belonging
Section 4Your life now
Section 5Reflecting on 250 years
Section 6Your one-sentence story

This may be used as a quote alongside your story.

Section 7Photo/video & consent

JPG, PNG, or WebP, up to 10MB.

Optional. MP4, WebM, or MOV, up to 200MB.

Section 8Community organization (optional)

Story of US is organizing a fundraiser tied to the campaign. If there's a nonprofit or community organization meaningful to you or your family, tell us about it.