The Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776.
Congress met at the Pennsylvania State House in Philadelphia, where delegates debated and edited the document during late June and early July. The final wording was approved on July 4, although the parchment engrossed copy was signed later, beginning on August 2.
The date is the basis of Independence Day, the federal holiday celebrated annually in the United States. America250 uses the 250th anniversary in 2026 to commemorate the founding-era declaration and the political break it announced.
A common mix-up is confusing July 2 with July 4. On July 2, Congress adopted the Lee Resolution declaring the colonies independent; on July 4, it approved the explanatory Declaration of Independence. The two decisions were closely connected but were different acts.