Which exhibition commemorated the 150th anniversary of American independence in 1926?

The Sesquicentennial Exposition commemorated the 150th anniversary of American independence in 1926.

Held in Philadelphia, the exposition marked the sesquicentennial, a term meaning a 150th anniversary. It followed the city’s 1876 Centennial Exposition and anticipated the large nationwide celebrations that would accompany the 1976 Bicentennial.

The exposition included exhibits, amusement attractions, industrial displays, and buildings created for the event. Although attendance and financial results did not match the hopes of its organizers, it remains an important example of how the United States used public exhibitions to interpret national history.

The event is particularly useful for understanding America250 because it forms part of a sequence of major anniversary commemorations: the Centennial in 1876, the Sesquicentennial in 1926, the Bicentennial in 1976, and the Semiquincentennial in 2026. The names differ because each refers to a different number of years.