Americans celebrate Independence Day in Portugal: A 'semiquincentennial' celebration
Today marks the 250th anniversary of the US Declaration of Independence, prompting American expats in Portugal to gather for vibrant celebrations. In Porto, a major event features local flavors and a scenic venue, while Lisbon hosts a picnic organised by Democrats Abroad, providing a festive atmosphere for the expat community.
On this occasion, let me share with you a little US-Portuguese relationship history...
Wine before independence (1766–1776)
Before there was a United States, there was Madeira. Portuguese fortified wine was the drink of colonial America - partly thanks to a quirk of British trade law that let Madeira ship directly to the colonies. By the 1760s it was a symbol of colonial identity and mild rebellion: when British customs seized John Hancock's sloop Liberty in 1768, the cargo in dispute was Madeira wine, and the incident helped light the revolutionary fuse. Jefferson, Washington and Franklin were all devotees, and tradition holds that the signing of the Declaration of Independence was toasted with Madeira. So Portugal was, quite literally, in the glass at America's birth.
To me, one of the most fascinating aspects of the US-Portugal relationship is the time of Frank Carlucci, who was the American ambassador here - "the American who helped save Portuguese democracy."
The modern era: tech, tourism and the new Americans (1986–2026)
The last two decades flipped the old dynamic. Where Portuguese once emigrated to America for opportunity, Americans now arrive in Portugal for lifestyle - a wave that accelerated after 2016 and surged through the pandemic years, drawn by the D7 and digital-nomad visas, healthcare, safety and, let's be honest, the pastéis de nata! Americans became one of the fastest-growing foreign resident groups, US tourism boomed, and the economic relationship diversified. Web Summit made Lisbon a fixture on the American tech calendar, US investment flowed into Portuguese startups and real estate, and transatlantic flight routes multiplied from Lisbon, Porto and Faro.
There's been friction too: Washington has leaned on Lisbon over Chinese involvement in 5G and the Sines port, and Lajes has been much downsized, despite its recent strategic (and controversial) use in the US war on Iran - but the fundamentals remain warm.
Which brings us to today: July 4th, 2026, America's 250th birthday, with Portugal's own tall ship Sagres racing in New York's celebrations, expats toasting the Semiquincentennial above the Douro, and a 235-year-old diplomatic friendship still going strong.
From Madeira in the founders' glasses to Americans in the Silver Coast's cafés, it's the circle of our collective lives, and what I wonder, will the future bring to this 'special' relationship?
Happy Independence Day to our American friends here, and all lovers of freedom!
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Americans celebrate Independence Day in Portugal: A 'semiquincentennial' celebration
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