The United States Declaration of Independence was formally adopted on July 4, 1776, a milestone commemorated by America250.
The Second Continental Congress approved the document unanimously while meeting in Philadelphia. The declaration announced that the thirteen American colonies regarded themselves as independent states rather than British colonies.
A common mix-up concerns July 2. Congress voted for independence on July 2, but the wording of the declaration was debated, revised, and formally adopted on July 4. The famous engrossed parchment was signed later, beginning on August 2, 1776, so adoption and signing were separate events.
July 4 became the date celebrated as American Independence Day. America250 marks the 250th anniversary of the declaration’s 1776 adoption and the independence it proclaimed.