The Declaration of Independence was adopted in Philadelphia, marking the event honored by America250.
In 1776, Philadelphia was the meeting place of the Second Continental Congress. Delegates gathered at the Pennsylvania State House, the building now known as Independence Hall, where they debated the Declaration and approved its final text on July 4.
Philadelphia was a major political and commercial center during the Revolutionary era. The city also hosted the Constitutional Convention in 1787, although the Constitution was drafted and signed eleven years after the Declaration. This overlap helps explain why Independence Hall is associated with both founding documents.
The Declaration’s adoption and the later signing of its engrossed parchment copy are related but distinct events. The principal signing occurred on August 2, 1776, also at the Pennsylvania State House. America250 commemorates the 1776 declaration of independence and its continuing place in U.S. history.