The Centennial Exposition for the United States’ 100th anniversary was held in Philadelphia.
Officially called the Centennial International Exhibition, the world’s fair ran from May 10 to November 10, 1876. It took place in Fairmount Park and commemorated the centennial of the Declaration of Independence.
Philadelphia was a fitting host because the city was central to the American founding. The Second Continental Congress met there, and Independence Hall was the site associated with the Declaration and the Constitution. The exposition presented industrial, agricultural, scientific, and cultural displays from the United States and other countries.
The fair also introduced many visitors to new technologies and products, including exhibits associated with the telephone, typewriter, and sewing machine. Philadelphia later hosted the 1926 Sesquicentennial Exposition, while the 1976 Bicentennial was celebrated nationwide rather than through a single official world’s fair.