Which organization was created by Congress in 2016 to lead the United States’ 250th-anniversary commemoration?

The United States Semiquincentennial Commission was created by Congress in 2016 to lead the United States’ 250th-anniversary commemoration.

Congress established the commission through Public Law 114-196, signed in July 2016. Its purpose was to plan and coordinate a nationwide observance of the 250th anniversary of American independence. The commission’s public-facing America250 identity became the name most people associate with the celebration.

The commission was designed as a nonpartisan body involving members appointed from government and the public. Its responsibilities included encouraging participation, coordinating with states and communities, and developing national commemorative programs.

The commission is distinct from the National Archives, Library of Congress, and Smithsonian Institution. Those institutions preserve and interpret important American materials, but they were not the congressional commission specifically created to coordinate the semiquincentennial.