America250 commissions represented 56 U.S. states and territories, including Washington, D.C.
The total comes from 50 states, five inhabited U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia. The territories counted in this structure are Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands.
These commissions were intended to organize and coordinate local, state, and territorial participation in the semiquincentennial. Their work could include educational programs, cultural events, historic preservation, civic activities, and public celebrations.
The number 56 does not mean that the United States has 56 states. The country has 50 states. It is a broader count used for America250 planning, and it includes jurisdictions that are not states plus the federal district.