Which federal organization was created in 2016 to coordinate the United States’ 250th-anniversary observances?

The United States Semiquincentennial Commission was created in 2016 to coordinate the United States’ 250th-anniversary observances.

Congress established the commission through the United States Semiquincentennial Commission Act of 2016. Its role is to help plan and promote a nationwide commemoration of the 250th anniversary of American independence, working with federal agencies, states, local communities, and private organizations.

The commission is a congressional, nonpartisan body, not a replacement for the National Archives or the National Park Service. Those agencies preserve and interpret historic resources, while the commission focuses specifically on organizing and encouraging anniversary programming.

Planning began years before the 2026 milestone because a national anniversary involves exhibitions, educational projects, service initiatives, historical sites, and public events across the country. The commission’s work also builds on the nationwide spirit of the 1976 Bicentennial, though the two celebrations have separate organizing structures.