Which body adopted the Declaration of Independence in 1776, beginning the anniversary America250 marks?

The Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence in 1776, beginning the anniversary America250 marks.

The Second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia during the American Revolutionary War. It acted as the governing body for the Thirteen Colonies and later the emerging United States, directing the war effort, appointing military leaders, issuing currency, and conducting diplomacy.

On July 2, 1776, the Congress approved the Lee Resolution, which declared that the colonies should be free and independent states. Two days later, on July 4, it adopted the Declaration of Independence, the public explanation of that decision.

The Congress had first convened in May 1775, after the Battles of Lexington and Concord. It continued operating until the Articles of Confederation took effect in 1781, when the national government became known as the Congress of the Confederation.