What founding document's adoption will the United States Semiquincentennial commemorate in 2026?

The United States Semiquincentennial commemorates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence.

The Second Continental Congress adopted the document on July 4, 1776, announcing that the thirteen American colonies regarded themselves as independent states. Thomas Jefferson drafted the main text, while the Committee of Five and the Continental Congress revised and approved it.

The Declaration is often described as the nation's founding document, but it did not create the later federal government. The Articles of Confederation provided the first national framework, and the Constitution replaced that system in 1789.

A common mix-up concerns the signing date. Congress adopted the Declaration on July 4, but most delegates signed the engrossed parchment on August 2, 1776. The anniversary date follows adoption, not the main signing ceremony.