Which document did America250 commemorate as the declaration that separated the colonies from Great Britain?

America250 commemorated the Declaration of Independence as the declaration that separated the colonies from Great Britain.

The Second Continental Congress adopted the document on July 4, 1776. It announced that the thirteen American colonies were free and independent states and explained the political principles used to justify their separation from Britain. The text is especially known for its statements about equality, rights, and government’s relationship to the governed.

The Declaration was not the U.S. Constitution. The Constitution was drafted in 1787 and established the federal government’s framework. The Articles of Confederation, adopted during the Revolutionary War, served as the first national governing document before the Constitution replaced them. The Treaty of Paris, signed in 1783, ended the war and recognized American independence internationally.

America250’s central date therefore refers to the Declaration’s adoption, not the later peace treaty or the Constitution. The distinction matters because independence was proclaimed in 1776 but secured diplomatically after the Revolutionary War.