Which body adopted the Declaration of Independence, the milestone honored by America250?

The Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence, the milestone honored by America250.

The Second Continental Congress began meeting in May 1775, after the battles of Lexington and Concord. Delegates from the British North American colonies coordinated the Revolutionary War, raised military forces, conducted diplomacy, and acted as a de facto national government during the conflict.

On July 2, 1776, the Congress approved the Lee Resolution, which declared the colonies independent from Great Britain. Two days later, on July 4, it adopted the Declaration of Independence, the document that explained and justified that decision. The body therefore played a central role in the event commemorated by America250.

The Congress met primarily in the Pennsylvania State House in Philadelphia, now known as Independence Hall. It eventually gave way to the Congress of the Confederation in 1781. The Constitutional Convention of 1787 was a later gathering that drafted the United States Constitution.