What was the name of the congressional body that adopted the United States Declaration of Independence in 1776?

The Second Continental Congress was the congressional body that adopted the United States Declaration of Independence in 1776.

It convened in Philadelphia in May 1775, after fighting had begun between colonial forces and the British army. Rather than functioning as a modern legislature with a separate executive branch, it coordinated the colonies’ wartime affairs and acted as the de facto national government.

The Congress authorized the Continental Army and selected George Washington as its commander. It also managed diplomacy, military supplies, finance, and relations among the colonies. In July 1776, its members debated and approved the Declaration of Independence.

The First Continental Congress had met in 1774 and focused on colonial grievances and resistance measures. The Second Continental Congress followed it and continued until the Articles of Confederation created a more formal national framework. The two congresses are therefore related but distinct institutions.