The United States Declaration of Independence received unanimous approval on July 4, 1776.
The Second Continental Congress adopted the document in Philadelphia at the Pennsylvania State House, later renamed Independence Hall. It announced that the Thirteen Colonies regarded themselves as independent states no longer subject to British rule.
The date is often confused with July 2, when Congress approved the Lee Resolution declaring independence in principle. August 2 is generally associated with the main signing ceremony of the engrossed parchment, while July 4 marks approval of the final wording.
Thomas Jefferson drafted the original text for the Committee of Five, which also included John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Robert R. Livingston, and Roger Sherman. Congress edited the draft before adopting it. The Declaration later became a central symbol of American national identity and is commemorated by Independence Day.