The United States approved the final wording of its Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.
The Second Continental Congress adopted the document in Philadelphia after debating a draft prepared mainly by Thomas Jefferson. Its purpose was to explain why the Thirteen Colonies were separating from Great Britain and to present their political case to the world.
July 4 marks approval of the text, not the date on which every delegate signed the parchment copy. Most delegates signed the engrossed document on August 2, 1776, while additional signatures were added later. The Declaration’s formal title originally referred to the “unanimous” declaration of the thirteen United States, although the word was inserted after the initial July 4 approval.
The date became the central symbol of U.S. independence and is celebrated annually as Independence Day. The document listed grievances against King George III and articulated ideas about natural rights and government by consent.