Which document does America250 commemorate as the foundation of the United States’ 250th anniversary?

America250 commemorates the Declaration of Independence as the document at the foundation of the United States’ 250th anniversary.

The Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration on July 4, 1776. It announced that the thirteen American colonies regarded themselves as independent states rather than parts of the British Empire. Its political argument drew on Enlightenment ideas about natural rights, government, and the consent of the governed.

The Declaration is often described as being “signed” on July 4, but the dating and signing history is more complicated. The document was adopted on July 4, while most delegates signed the engrossed parchment on August 2. America250 uses the 1776 Declaration and the July 4 adoption date as the central historical reference for the anniversary.

The Declaration is not the same document as the Constitution. The Constitution established the federal government in 1787, eleven years after the Declaration announced independence.