The Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.
The document announced that the thirteen American colonies regarded themselves as independent states rather than part of the British Empire. America250 marks 250 years from this milestone in 2026.
The date can be confused with July 2, when Congress approved the resolution for independence, or August 2, when most delegates signed the engrossed parchment. July 4 is the date printed on the Declaration and the date used for the national holiday.
The Declaration was adopted in Philadelphia after Congress debated revisions to a draft prepared chiefly by Thomas Jefferson. Its anniversary is therefore central to the United States Semiquincentennial, also called America’s 250th anniversary.