Barack Obama signed the 2016 law creating the United States Semiquincentennial Commission.
The commission was established through the United States Semiquincentennial Commission Act of 2016. Its purpose was to coordinate national observances for the 250th anniversary of American independence and encourage commemorations across the country.
The law was enacted during Obama’s second presidential term. The commission is described as congressional and nonpartisan, distinguishing it from later White House-led initiatives that were created to organize additional birthday events.
The commission’s work connects the 2026 celebration with historic sites, educational programs, cultural events, commemorative objects and public participation. Philadelphia, Boston, New York City and Charleston were specifically identified in the legislation as leading cities because of their roles in the Revolutionary era.
This fact is sometimes confused with the date of the Declaration itself. Obama did not create the United States in 2016; he signed legislation organizing a commemoration more than two centuries after independence.