At America250’s November 2018 organizing meeting, 33 commission members were sworn in at Independence Hall.
The ceremony took place in Philadelphia on November 16, 2018, beginning the commission’s organizing work for the United States’ 250th-anniversary commemoration. The commission was created by Congress in 2016 as a bipartisan body to plan nationwide observances.
The 33 members represented several parts of the federal commemoration structure. The group included 16 private citizens, eight members of Congress, and nine federal officials. Its responsibilities included developing recommendations, coordinating anniversary programs, and encouraging participation across the country.
The meeting was held at Independence Hall because of its direct connection to the founding era. The Declaration of Independence was adopted in Philadelphia in 1776, and the city was later named one of America250’s leading cities. The 2018 meeting was a planning milestone, not the anniversary celebration itself, which centered on July 4, 2026.