The United States Declaration of Independence received final approval on July 4, 1776.
The Second Continental Congress adopted the final wording in Philadelphia after several days of debate and revision. The document formally explained why the Thirteen Colonies were separating from Great Britain and asserted that they were free and independent states.
July 4 marks adoption of the Declaration, while the best-known engrossed parchment copy was signed primarily on August 2, 1776. These dates are often confused because public celebrations use July 4, whereas the surviving signed document reflects a later signing process.
The date became the basis for Independence Day, the United States national holiday celebrated annually on July 4. America250 commemorates the 250th anniversary of the independence era beginning with this 1776 milestone. The Declaration was drafted by a committee that included Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Roger Sherman, and Robert Livingston.