The Declaration of Independence was adopted and signed in Philadelphia, the city central to America250 history.
The Second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia at the Pennsylvania State House, now known as Independence Hall. The building became the setting for debates over independence, approval of the Declaration, and the signing of the document by delegates.
Philadelphia was the largest city in British North America and an important center of printing, trade, and political activity. Its location helped make it a practical meeting place for representatives from the colonies.
The signing was not a single moment involving every delegate on July 4. The Declaration was adopted on July 4, while most delegates signed the engrossed parchment on August 2, 1776. The city nevertheless remains inseparable from the document and its anniversary.