Independence Hall hosted the first organizing meeting of the America250 commission.
The United States Semiquincentennial Commission’s members were sworn in at Independence Hall in Philadelphia on November 16, 2018. The location was chosen because the building is closely connected with the founding of the United States: the Declaration of Independence was adopted there in 1776, and the U.S. Constitution was drafted there in 1787.
Independence Hall was originally known as the Pennsylvania State House. It stands within Independence National Historical Park and is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its use for the commission’s first meeting symbolically connected modern anniversary planning with the founding-era events America250 commemorates.
Philadelphia contains several other important Revolutionary-era buildings, including Carpenters’ Hall and Congress Hall. Those sites can create confusion, but the commission’s inaugural organizing meeting specifically took place at Independence Hall.