Philadelphia hosted the Second Continental Congress that adopted the Declaration celebrated by America250.
The Second Continental Congress met at the Pennsylvania State House in Philadelphia, the building now known as Independence Hall. On July 4, 1776, Congress approved the Declaration of Independence after debating and revising Thomas Jefferson’s draft.
Philadelphia was a major political and commercial center in British North America and had already hosted the First Continental Congress in 1774. Its location made it a practical meeting place for delegates from the thirteen colonies, even though the Revolutionary War later forced Congress to relocate.
The city is sometimes confused with Boston, a major early center of resistance, or New York City, which hosted the Continental Congress at other points during the war. For the Declaration’s adoption and the central America250 story, Philadelphia is the key location.