The Second Continental Congress adopted the United States 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. Congress approved the final wording in Philadelphia, making July 4 the date later celebrated as Independence Day.
A common mix-up concerns July 2. Congress voted for independence on July 2, 1776, when it approved the Lee Resolution. The Declaration itself was edited, formally adopted, and dated July 4. Most delegates signed the engrossed document on August 2, although additional signatures followed later.
The 2026 America250 observance marks 250 years since the Declaration's adoption. The anniversary therefore commemorates a specific congressional action, not simply the beginning of the Revolutionary War or the date of the first colonial protest.