Philadelphia hosted the 1876 Centennial Exposition, an earlier celebration of U.S. independence.
The exposition ran from May 10 to November 10, 1876, and coincided with the centennial anniversary of the Declaration of Independence’s adoption. It was held in Fairmount Park, along the Schuylkill River, and became the first official world’s fair held in the United States.
Nearly 10 million people attended, and 37 countries participated. Exhibits showcased industrial products, machinery, agricultural equipment, art, and new technologies. Alexander Graham Bell demonstrated an early telephone there, while other displays presented typewriters, sewing machines, and transportation innovations.
Philadelphia’s role was historically appropriate because the Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence there in 1776. The city also hosted the later 1926 Sesquicentennial Exposition, making it a recurring center for national anniversary commemorations.