Boston was listed first among the four “leading cities” in the 2016 law planning the United States Semiquincentennial.
The legislation identified Boston, Philadelphia, New York City, and Charleston, South Carolina, as places of historical significance for anniversary events. These cities were central to the colonial period, the American Revolution, or the formation of the United States.
Boston was a major center of resistance to British policies before independence. Events such as the Boston Massacre and the Boston Tea Party made the city especially important in the history leading to the Revolutionary War.
Philadelphia was the meeting place of the Second Continental Congress and the location associated with the Declaration of Independence. New York and Charleston also played major roles in the Revolutionary era. The question asks for the city listed first, rather than the city most closely associated with the Declaration.