For America's 250th anniversary, which document adopted on July 4, 1776 declared the Thirteen Colonies independent?

The Declaration of Independence, adopted on July 4, 1776, declared the Thirteen Colonies independent from Great Britain.

The Second Continental Congress approved the document in Philadelphia after months of political debate and military conflict. Thomas Jefferson wrote the initial draft, working with the Committee of Five, which also included John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert Livingston.

The Declaration explained the colonies’ reasons for separation and presented a philosophical argument about natural rights and legitimate government. Its best-known passage asserts that “all men are created equal” and possess rights including “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

The document was adopted on July 4, but most delegates signed the engrossed parchment copy on August 2. It is now preserved at the National Archives in Washington, D.C., and remains the central founding document associated with the United States’ 250th anniversary.