How Americans celebrated the bicentennial — with fireworks, a Freedom Train and Farrah

In 1976, as the United States prepared to celebrate its 200th anniversary, the mood was ambivalent. Americans had outlasted the Vietnam War and the Watergate scandal, with the occasional moment of joy like the moon landing. The State of the Union was intact, even if many Americans were still on edge. The traveling Freedom Train, Operation Sail and TV's “Bicentennial Minute" aimed for positive vibes, dance music ruled the airwaves, and Farrah Fawcett-Majors' red, white and blue poster became a ph...