What major founding document’s 1776 adoption is commemorated by America250?

America250 commemorates the 1776 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 no longer subject to British rule. The text explained the political case for independence and included a list of grievances against King George III.

Thomas Jefferson drafted the document’s main text with assistance and review from John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert Livingston. The declaration was later engrossed and signed by delegates, with most signatures placed on August 2, 1776.

The Declaration is not the same document as the Constitution. The Constitution created the framework of the U.S. federal government in 1787, while the Declaration announced independence in 1776. America250 is centered on the earlier document’s adoption.