The United States Semiquincentennial commissioners were sworn in at Independence Hall in Philadelphia during 2018.
The ceremony took place on November 16, 2018, when the then-33 commissioners began their first organizing meeting. Congress selected Independence Hall to honor its historical importance in the nation’s founding and constitutional development.
Independence Hall was the meeting place where the Second Continental Congress debated and adopted the Declaration of Independence in 1776. It was also where the Constitutional Convention met and signed the United States Constitution in 1787. Those two associations made the building a natural setting for launching preparations for America250.
The building was originally called the Pennsylvania State House. The name Independence Hall became widely used later, especially after the Civil War. It stands within Independence National Historical Park and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, alongside other important landmarks in Philadelphia’s historic district.