Which document did the Second Continental Congress adopt on July 4, 1776?

The Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.

The document announced that the Thirteen Colonies regarded themselves as free and independent states rather than colonies governed by Great Britain. It also presented a political justification, listing grievances against King George III and describing principles concerning natural rights and government.

Congress appointed the Committee of Five—John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Robert R. Livingston, and Roger Sherman—to prepare a declaration. Thomas Jefferson wrote most of the initial draft, which Congress then edited before approving it.

The Declaration was adopted on July 4, but the famous parchment copy was signed primarily on August 2, 1776. That distinction is often confused with the adoption date. The document is now displayed at the National Archives in Washington, D.C., and remains the central document commemorated by America250.