The Second Continental Congress adopted the United States Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.
The vote for independence itself occurred on July 2, after Congress approved the Lee Resolution declaring the colonies free from British rule. Congress then edited and approved the declaration explaining that decision. July 4 therefore became the document's celebrated adoption date and eventually the date observed as Independence Day.
The date can be confused with August 2, 1776, when most delegates signed the engrossed parchment copy. It is also different from July 8, when the declaration received some of its earliest public readings, including readings in Philadelphia, Trenton, and Easton.
The declaration represented all thirteen colonies and listed grievances against King George III. Its adoption in 1776 is the central historical milestone commemorated by the United States' 250th anniversary in 2026.