Philadelphia hosted the 1876 Centennial Exposition celebrating the 100th anniversary of American independence.
Officially called the International Exhibition of Arts, Manufactures, and Products of the Soil and Mine, the fair ran from May 10 to November 10, 1876. Its grounds occupied Fairmount Park in Philadelphia, the city where the Declaration of Independence had been adopted a century earlier.
The exposition displayed American and international achievements in manufacturing, science, education, agriculture, and the arts. Exhibits associated with the fair included early versions of technologies such as the telephone, typewriter, and sewing machine.
The Centennial Exposition formed part of a sequence of major anniversary celebrations. Philadelphia later hosted the 1926 Sesquicentennial Exposition, marking 150 years, while the United States Bicentennial culminated in 1976. America250 continues that pattern by marking the 250th anniversary in 2026.