The United States Declaration of Independence declared the colonies independent on July 4, 1776, the date commemorated by America250.
The Second Continental Congress adopted the final wording of the Declaration in Philadelphia on July 4, 1776. The document announced that the thirteen American colonies regarded themselves as free and independent states rather than part of the British Empire.
The vote for independence came earlier, on July 2. John Adams even predicted that July 2 would become the main annual celebration, but July 4 became the date associated with the Declaration because it appears on the document Congress approved and sent for printing.
The Declaration was not the same as the later U.S. Constitution. It explained the colonies’ decision to separate from Britain and listed grievances against King George III, while the Constitution created the federal government in 1787. America250 marks 250 years since the Declaration’s adoption in 1776.