Where did the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission hold its first organizing meeting?

The U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission held its first organizing meeting at Independence Hall.

The meeting took place in Philadelphia on November 16, 2018, when the commission’s members were sworn in and began organizing the long-term national anniversary effort. Independence Hall was a symbolic location because it hosted deliberations connected with both the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution.

Independence Hall was formerly the Pennsylvania State House. The Second Continental Congress met there during the Revolutionary era, and the Constitutional Convention met there in 1787. The building is now part of Independence National Historical Park.

Philadelphia’s role can cause confusion with other historic halls. Federal Hall is in New York City, Carpenters’ Hall hosted the First Continental Congress, and Faneuil Hall is in Boston. Independence Hall is the site associated with both the Declaration and Constitution debates.