The Declaration of Independence received final approval on July 4, 1776.
The Second Continental Congress debated and revised the document in Philadelphia during late June and early July. Congress approved the final wording on July 4, making that date the basis for Independence Day and the central anniversary celebrated by America250.
The date is often confused with July 2, 1776, when Congress approved the Lee Resolution declaring the colonies independent. It is also distinct from the main signing of the engrossed parchment copy, which most historians place on August 2, 1776.
Thomas Jefferson wrote the initial draft as part of a five-person committee that also included John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Robert R. Livingston, and Roger Sherman. Congress edited Jefferson's draft before approving the final text.