The 1876 U.S. centennial observances centered on which Philadelphia exposition?

The 1876 U.S. centennial observances centered on Philadelphia’s Centennial Exposition. Its formal name was the International Exhibition of Arts, Manufactures, and Products of the Soil and Mine, and it commemorated the centennial of the Declaration of Independence.

Held in Fairmount Park from May 10 to November 10, 1876, the exposition was the first official world’s fair held in the United States. Philadelphia was a symbolic choice because the Declaration of Independence had been adopted there on July 4, 1776. The fair displayed industrial, agricultural, scientific, and cultural achievements from the United States and other nations.

Nearly 10 million people attended, and 37 countries participated. Major landmarks included Memorial Hall, Machinery Hall, Agricultural Hall, and Horticultural Hall. Inventions and technologies associated with the exposition included the telephone, typewriter, and sewing machine. The Pan-American Exposition and Columbian Exposition were later world’s fairs, while the Sesquicentennial Exposition took place in Philadelphia in 1926.