Where were the first United States Semiquincentennial commissioners sworn in in 2018?

The first United States Semiquincentennial commissioners were sworn in at Independence Hall in 2018.

Philadelphia’s Independence Hall was chosen because it is closely connected with both major founding documents. The Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence there, and the Constitutional Convention later drafted the United States Constitution in the same building.

The commissioners’ 2018 ceremony marked the beginning of organized planning for the 2026 national birthday celebration. The commission had been created by Congress two years earlier, so the swearing-in represented an important transition from legislation to active preparation.

Independence Hall is often confused with nearby Congress Hall or the Liberty Bell Center. The Liberty Bell is displayed close to Independence Hall, but the commissioners’ ceremony took place in Independence Hall itself, the historic building at the center of Philadelphia’s Independence National Historical Park.