Nearly 7,000 soldiers were set to participate in the largest military parade the city has seen in decades, which officials have estimated could cost up to $45 million.

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...