Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, the event marked by America250.
The Second Continental Congress approved the declaration’s final wording in Philadelphia. The document stated that the thirteen colonies were separating from Great Britain and presented philosophical and political reasons for that decision. July 4 became the date associated with American independence because it appears on the declaration and commemorates its adoption.
The date is sometimes confused with August 2, 1776, when most delegates signed the engrossed parchment. Adoption and signing were separate stages. The declaration had already been approved and announced before the principal signing ceremony took place.
Another important distinction is between the declaration and the Constitution. The Constitution was signed in 1787, eleven years later, and created the framework of the federal government. America250 focuses on the 1776 independence milestone, not the later constitutional anniversary.