The United States adopted the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.
The Second Continental Congress approved the final wording in Philadelphia. The document announced that the thirteen colonies regarded themselves as independent states rather than colonies subject to Great Britain. July 4 became the date printed on the document and the date celebrated as American Independence Day.
Congress actually voted for independence on July 2, when it approved the Lee Resolution. Delegates then debated and edited the declaration before approving its text on July 4. Most delegates signed the engrossed parchment on August 2, so adoption, publication, and signing were separate steps.
The declaration’s anniversary is central to America250, the nationwide commemoration of the 250th anniversary of independence in 2026. Its opening political argument and list of grievances made it one of the best-known founding documents in world history.