The Second Continental Congress, meeting in Philadelphia, voted for the independence of the United Colonies by passing the Lee Resolution on July 2, 1776.

[6] There were no major government-sponsored 50th anniversary observances on July 4, 1826 (the day the Founding Fathers and former presidents John Adams and Thomas Jefferson died).

The bell will honor 250 years of women's contributions to the American story, and will lead nationwide ringing tributes during the celebrations.

"[17] In honor of George Washington's troops' final leg of the trip to secretly haul cannons from Fort Hill to the Fortification of Dorchester Heights, artist Michael Dowling seeks 100,000 Bostonians, a seventh of the city population, to write "a short story of belonging" on any piece of cloth, which will then be tied in a 4-mile (6.4 km) long rope, the same length as the covert journey.

[18] In 2017, the Daughters of the American Revolution announced a grant of $380,000 to the city of Philadelphia to plant 76 semiquincentennial commemorative trees at Independence National Historical Park.

[18] Sergio Villavicencio, Vice-President of the Alexander Hamilton Awareness Society, is currently serving as the New York City Semiquincentennial Committee Chair.

[26] Part of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, including the final match will be held at the MetLife Stadium in between June and July, co-hosting the championship with 15 other venues between Canada, the United States and Mexico, including the "leading cities" of Philadelphia and Boston, at the Lincoln Financial Field and Gillette Stadium, respectively.

[18] The United States Navy will also host the seventh International Fleet Review in New York Harbor on July 4, 2026,[27] which will incorporate OpSail 2026.

[31] The Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) from its national society headquarters in Louisville, Kentucky, announced plans to develop a SAR Education Center and Museum to be opened prior to the 250th Anniversary, which will house galleries and exhibits will highlight the patriot ancestors and tell the story of the American Revolution.

[37] On November 15, 2017, the United States Department of the Interior issued a request for proposals seeking a non-profit corporation to act as secretariat to the commission and lead nationwide organization of observances.

[38] The American Battlefield Trust was named the commission's non-profit partner to serve as Administrative Secretariat, tasked with preparing reports for Congress and helping raise funds for the anniversary observances.

Four months later, on October 17, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf named Fresh Grocer supermarket magnate and philanthropist Patrick Burns to chair the state commission.

[45] The day before the meeting, the Daughters of the American Revolution, in partnership with the commission, held a tree-planting ceremony to introduce its Pathway of the Patriots along the Schuylkill River Trail.

Advertisements were displayed "[from] Times Square and the Lincoln Tunnel in New York to the Walt Whitman Bridge in Philadelphia," with original content also being published on the campaign's social media accounts.

[48][49] In July 2022, President Joe Biden designated former Treasurer of the United States Rosie Rios as Chair of the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission.

[52] During his 2024 presidential campaign, Donald Trump pledged to throw a "spectacular birthday party" to honor the anniversary, by assembling a White House task force named "Salute to America 250".