Official planning for America’s 250th-anniversary celebrations began in 2016.
That year, Congress established the United States Semiquincentennial Commission through federal legislation. The bipartisan, nonpartisan commission was created to coordinate preparations for the 250th anniversary of American independence in 2026.
The commission’s responsibilities included developing national programs, encouraging state and local participation, and supporting commemorative projects. Federal law also directed attention toward historic cities, commemorative coins, postage stamps, and appropriately named naval vessels.
Planning began a decade before the anniversary itself. This distinguishes the commission’s 2016 start from later developments, including the 2020 amendment to its establishing law and the creation of a separate White House task force in 2025. The 2016 date therefore refers to the beginning of formal federal planning, not the start of public celebrations.