USA250 was established in Philadelphia in 2011 to lobby for federal support for America’s 250th anniversary.
The organization advocated for federal backing of the United States semiquincentennial and promoted Philadelphia as the host city for anniversary events. Philadelphia’s claim rested on its central role in the American Revolution and the Continental Congress’s work there in 1776.
USA250 predates the congressional United States Semiquincentennial Commission, which was established in 2016. The two names are therefore easy to mix up: USA250 was an earlier Philadelphia-based advocacy organization, while the later commission became the federally authorized body associated with the nationwide America250 effort.
Philadelphia continued to feature prominently in anniversary planning. Independence National Historical Park, Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, and other historic sites connect the city directly to the founding era. The city also hosted the 1876 Centennial Exposition, the major American anniversary celebration held 150 years before America250.