Which body adopted the Declaration of Independence, whose 1776 anniversary America250 commemorates?

The Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence, whose 1776 anniversary America250 commemorates.

The Second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia from 1775 to 1781, during the American Revolutionary War. Delegates from the Thirteen Colonies coordinated the war effort, handled diplomacy, issued currency, and eventually approved independence.

On July 2, 1776, Congress approved the Lee Resolution declaring the colonies independent. It then debated and revised the Declaration of Independence, approving its final wording on July 4. The document explained the reasons for separation from Great Britain.

The First Continental Congress had met in 1774 to protest British policies, while the Constitutional Convention met in 1787 to draft the U.S. Constitution. These were separate bodies with different purposes.