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In 1972, a young man named Joe Ryan was teaching his middle school class in northern Westchester about the American Revolutionary when one of his students posed a question.

“Mr Ryan, were our ancestors stupid?” he asked.

The student saw an image in his textbook and didn’t understand how the men, in their rigid, shoulder-to-shoulder formations, could fight effectively in an open field. Ryan decided to embrace the words of his mentor, Dr Ernie Coons, a pioneer of outdoor education: “Do not be a two-by-four teacher. Do not be stuck between the two covers of the book and the four walls of a classroom.”

Days later, a dozen of Ryan’s students stood in the Blue Mountain middle school parking lot, brandishing muskets made by the school’s shop and home economics departments, and stood shoulder-to-shoulder, just like the image in their textbook.

Today, Ryan is 80 years old. He is the president of the Living History Education Foundation, a non-profit organization providing living history curriculum for schools, and a board member and founding father of the fifth New York regiment. He has spent more than 50 years bringing history to life.

As the United States prepares to celebrate its 250th birthday this week, a small but mighty cohort of citizens have stepped back into the spotlight: historical re-enactors. These patriotic devotees fall under the umbrella of “living historians”, defined as historical interpreters who wear period clothing, demonstrate historic trades and use authentic tools to bring the past to life.

While Ryan appreciates the national interest in commemorating the country’s latest milestone, he emphasized that living historians have always prioritized small, community-level work.

“The celebration of the 250 is going to be local,” he said. “They can talk all they want in Washington, they can do whatever they want in Albany, but from our point of view, the cavalry is not coming.”

Like Ryan, Sherry Emershaw, president of the 24th Connecticut militia regiment, appreciates the renewed interest in her organization, but said: “​​We don’t need a special anniversary to celebrate and educate people about the revolutionary war. Every single day, we do this.”

“As a result of that focus – you know, state, local, federal – we are in demand,” she added. “Every weekend we’re doing something, and frankly, I have to be turning people away.”

Emershaw, a recently retired financial adviser, started re-enacting 16 years ago. When she first joined the 24th Connecticut militia regiment, women were just beginning to gain acceptance in living history organizations. Today, she says, it’s the norm. While many women play camp followers – civilians who travel alongside or live near a military unit – they are also welcome to portray male soldiers in battle.

While most revolutionary war re-enactment groups are concentrated along the east and mid-Atlantic, where most of the battles took place, there is interest in portraying history regardless of geographic location. The Spirit of 76 Living History Association is a Washington state-based living history group dedicated to educating about 18th century soldier, sailor and civilian lives.

Instead of recreating specific battles, such as the battle of White Plains or Bunker Hill, they portray scenes of broader 18th century life.

“We live where we live and our interests are our interests,” Elsie Criswell, the group’s membership coordinator, said. “So it’s a small but a very unique offering, because it is very uncommon to see [re-creation] here.”

For many living historians, their passion for portraying the nation’s history began in childhood. Kenneth Gavin, commanding officer of the Spencer’s Additional Continental Regiment and a public historian, grew up visiting Valley Forge National Park. He now works part-time as a tour guide, alongside some of the same re-enactors that sparked his interest in history at eight years old. Like Emershaw, he has found it challenging to meet the semiquincentennial-induced demand for demonstrations.

“There aren’t a whole lot of us,” he said. “There’s probably a few thousand, and we’re on the eastern seaboard, but definitely not enough of us to do all the things that we’re being asked to do.”

The United States’s quarter millennium festivities fall at a precarious time for the country, with over half of US adults saying that by 2050 the country will be less important in the world, more politically divided, and the American system of government will work worse than it does today, according to a poll conducted by Pew Research Center.

Some re-enactors, like Emershaw, think that those choosing not to celebrate the country this Fourth of July are misplacing their frustration.

“I think it’s a disgrace personally,” she said. “I love my country. Politicians don’t define what this country is about. You’re going to have politicians you like, you’re going to have politicians that you don’t like. I don’t like hearing insults about our country. We have the greatest country in the world. That’s why people are knocking down the doors to get in here.”

Gavin, on the other hand, understands the disillusionment.

“[Looking] back to the time of the American Revolution with 21st century eyes, we see so much imperfection,” he said. “We talk about freedom, we talk about liberty, but who’s really getting the freedom? Who’s really getting the liberty? Are we really extending those freedoms and liberties to all people? And, of course, we’re not.”