The 1876 Centennial Exposition was held in Philadelphia during the United States’ 100th anniversary year.
Officially called the International Exhibition of Arts, Manufactures and Products of the Soil and Mine, the fair celebrated the centennial of the Declaration of Independence. It opened in Philadelphia on May 10, 1876, in Fairmount Park and ran for several months.
Philadelphia was a natural host because the Declaration had been adopted there in 1776 and the city had served as an important center of the early United States. The exposition displayed industrial machinery, manufactured goods, agricultural products, and cultural exhibits from the United States and other countries.
The Centennial Exposition is a predecessor to later anniversary celebrations, including the 1926 sesquicentennial and the 1976 bicentennial. It should not be confused with the 1876 Centennial International Exhibition in another location; Philadelphia was the principal American host city.