Which document did Congress adopt on July 4, 1776, beginning the independence celebrated by America250?

Congress adopted the United States Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, beginning the independence celebrated by America250.

The Second Continental Congress approved the declaration in Philadelphia after adopting the Lee Resolution on July 2. The earlier resolution declared the colonies independent; the declaration then explained the reasons for that decision and presented it to the world.

Thomas Jefferson wrote the initial draft, which a committee reviewed before Congress debated and edited it. The final document states that the thirteen colonies were free and independent states and sets out political principles about rights, government, and popular consent.

The familiar parchment was signed primarily on August 2, 1776, rather than by every delegate on July 4. That distinction does not change the anniversary date: America250 commemorates Congress’s adoption of the declaration in 1776, not the later signing ceremony.