Philadelphia hosted the 1926 Sesquicentennial Exposition during the 150th anniversary of U.S. independence.
The exposition commemorated 150 years since the 1776 Declaration of Independence. Philadelphia was a logical host because the city had been the meeting place of the Second Continental Congress and was closely associated with the drafting and adoption of the Declaration.
“Sesquicentennial” means a 150th anniversary. The 1926 event therefore fell halfway between the 1876 Centennial Exposition and the 1976 Bicentennial. It featured exhibitions, architecture, entertainment, and displays intended to present American progress and national identity to the public.
Philadelphia’s anniversary role continued across generations. It hosted the 1876 centennial event, the 1926 sesquicentennial event, and remains one of the leading historical cities connected with America250. The repeated location can cause confusion because the city hosted more than one major national anniversary exposition, separated by fifty years.