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 announced that the thirteen American colonies regarded themselves as independent states and no longer part of the British Empire.
A common mix-up concerns the word “signed.” Some delegates signed on July 4, but most signatures were added later, with the formal engrossed document signed primarily on August 2, 1776. The anniversary traditionally commemorates the adoption date, which is why Independence Day falls on July 4.
America250 marks 250 years from that 1776 adoption. The commemoration therefore culminates on July 4, 2026, rather than on the later date associated with the main signing ceremony.