What 1776 event does the United States Semiquincentennial commemorate?

The United States Semiquincentennial commemorates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. The Second Continental Congress approved the document on July 4, announcing that the thirteen American colonies regarded themselves as independent states rather than parts of the British Empire.

The Declaration explained the political case for independence and listed grievances against King George III. Thomas Jefferson drafted the main text, while Benjamin Franklin and John Adams were among the committee members who helped revise it. The document’s opening principles later became especially influential in American political culture.

Adoption and signing are related but different moments. Congress adopted the final text on July 4, while most delegates signed the engrossed document on August 2. The military struggle continued after the Declaration, and independence was not immediately secured. The Treaty of Paris in 1783 formally ended the Revolutionary War and recognized the United States as independent.