"Every other country celebrates their victories," he said. "It's about time America did too — that's what we're doing tonight."

After all the talk of dictators and wannabe kings, the Army’s anniversary celebration in the capital was a low-key affair, amid national turmoil.

The crowds in Annapolis gathered in front of the colonial, red-brick Maryland State House around mid-morning. The people who came were largely white, and they held signs reading: "RESISTING THE CROWN...