The United States Declaration of Independence was adopted on July 4, 1776.
The Second Continental Congress approved the final wording on that date in Philadelphia. The document declared that the thirteen American colonies were independent from Great Britain and explained the political principles the new states claimed justified separation.
Congress had voted for independence on July 2, two days before adopting the final text. The Declaration was then engrossed and signed by delegates, with the best-known signing ceremony taking place on August 2, 1776. These separate dates explain why July 4 is celebrated as Independence Day even though voting and signing occurred on different days.
The America250 observance in 2026 marks 250 years from the 1776 adoption date. It is not an anniversary of the Constitution, which was signed in 1787, or of the Treaty of Paris, which ended the war in 1783.