Which body adopted the Declaration of Independence in 1776?

The Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence in 1776.

The Second Continental Congress was a convention of delegates from the thirteen colonies that met during the American Revolutionary War. It coordinated the colonial war effort, managed diplomacy, issued financial measures, and eventually acted as the de facto national government before the Articles of Confederation took effect.

The Congress approved the Declaration on July 4, 1776, after debating the question of independence and editing Jefferson’s draft. It had succeeded the First Continental Congress, which met in 1774 and focused on colonial grievances and resistance to British policies. The Constitutional Convention was a later gathering, held in 1787 to draft the Constitution.

Remembering the institution matters because the Declaration was not adopted by a modern Congress operating under the Constitution. It was approved by a revolutionary intercolonial body whose members represented the colonies before the United States had its current federal structure.