The efforts to bring an International Exposition to the city of Boston began in 1962 when a group from the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, lead by Gilbert H. Hood, Jr., visited the Seattle World’s Fair. Inspired by Seattle’s fair and believing that such an event would greatly benefit both Boston and New England, the Chamber of Commerce joined with the City of Boston to explore the possibility of hosting an Exposition to commemorate the bicentennial of the United States. In 1963, the Chamber of Commerce joined with the city of Boston and formed a non-profit organization called 75 World Freedom Fair, Inc. (Freedom 75). The purpose of Freedom 75 was to raise enough money to finance a study to determine whether an exposition was economically feasible and if it would receive local support. The study was completed in 1965 with favorable results.

Encouraged by the positive feedback, enough money was raised to begin planning the fair. The proposed site was the Harbor Islands. From 1967-1969, fair organizers created a vision not only for the Expo 76 itself, but for the permanent re-use of the land and buildings after the event was over. In spite of the opposition to the fair by residents of South Boston, as well as the the City Council, the Boston delegation presented the “Freedom Fair” to the presidentially appointed American Revolution Bicentennial Commission in September 1970. Rather than designate any one city to host the fair, the Commission decided to have celebrations throughout the country. Boston celebrated the Bicentennial in July 1976 with a parade of an international fleet of tall ships in Boston Harbor.