Which four cities did the 2016 semiquincentennial law identify as leading event locations?

The 2016 semiquincentennial law identified Boston, Philadelphia, New York City, and Charleston as leading event locations.

These cities were named because of their importance to the history of the American Revolution and the creation of the United States. Boston was a major center of resistance to British policies and the site of events including the Boston Massacre and Boston Tea Party. Philadelphia hosted the Continental Congress and the drafting and adoption of foundational documents.

New York City was a strategically important Revolutionary War location and an early national capital. Charleston, South Carolina, represented the southern theater of the Revolution and had been the site of major colonial and wartime events. Together, the four cities provide a geographically varied picture of the independence struggle.

The law did not restrict America250 events to these places. It described them as leading cities while also encouraging activities at other historically significant locations throughout the United States.