The nonprofit USA250 was established in Philadelphia in 2011 as an early advocate for federal support of the United States semiquincentennial.
USA250 promoted Philadelphia as a host city for events surrounding the 250th anniversary. The city’s importance comes from its central role in the American Revolution and the founding era: the Continental Congress met there, and the Declaration of Independence was adopted there in 1776.
Philadelphia’s America250 role is distinct from the federal commission created in 2016. USA250 was a nonprofit advocacy organization, while the United States Semiquincentennial Commission is the congressional body responsible for national coordination.
Philadelphia is also home to Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence and later the Constitution were debated. Those associations make it a natural focal point for anniversary programming.