The Declaration of Independence was adopted in Philadelphia, where the Second Continental Congress met in the Pennsylvania State House.
Philadelphia was the political center of the revolutionary colonies and hosted the Continental Congress during the crucial summer of 1776. The Pennsylvania State House is now known as Independence Hall, a name reflecting its later historical importance.
The city was also the setting for major stages of the Declaration’s creation. Thomas Jefferson drafted the text there, a committee reviewed it, and Congress debated and revised the document before adopting it. The famous parchment was later signed in the same building.
Philadelphia is sometimes confused with Washington, D.C., because Washington became the permanent national capital in the 19th century and is strongly associated with American government. However, Washington did not yet exist as the capital in 1776. America250’s anniversary story therefore begins in colonial Philadelphia, not the later federal district.