The Second Continental Congress adopted the United States Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.
The document announced that the Thirteen Colonies regarded themselves as free and independent states rather than colonies under British rule. Congress met at the Pennsylvania State House in Philadelphia, a building later renamed Independence Hall.
July 4 is widely celebrated as American Independence Day, but it was not the only important date in the declaration process. Congress approved the Lee Resolution on July 2, formally resolving that the colonies were independent. The final engrossed parchment was signed primarily on August 2.
The Declaration was drafted by a Committee of Five, with Thomas Jefferson writing the main draft. Congress edited the text before adoption. The document later became one of the most influential statements of political principles in modern history.