The Declaration of Independence was adopted in Philadelphia, the document’s central setting in America250 history.
The Second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia when it adopted the Declaration on July 4, 1776. The document announced that the Thirteen Colonies regarded themselves as independent states no longer subject to British rule.
The Declaration is associated with Independence Hall, then known as the Pennsylvania State House. The building was also used for other major founding-era events, including sessions of the Continental Congress and the Constitutional Convention.
The date of adoption and the date of signing are often simplified in popular accounts. Congress adopted the final text on July 4, while most delegates signed the engrossed document on August 2, 1776. America250 centers on the 1776 declaration and its anniversary.