Which document's 250th anniversary is commemorated by the United States Semiquincentennial?

The United States Semiquincentennial commemorates the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

The Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration on July 4, 1776. The document announced that the Thirteen Colonies regarded themselves as free and independent states rather than colonies subject to the British Crown.

The Declaration was both a political announcement and an explanation of the colonies' reasons for separating from Great Britain. Its preamble presents ideas about natural rights and government, while later sections list grievances against King George III.

The Constitution is a different founding document: it was drafted in 1787 and took effect in 1789. The Articles of Confederation preceded it as the first national governing framework, while the Emancipation Proclamation was issued by Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War in 1863. Those documents are important to U.S. history but are not the focus of the 2026 semiquincentennial.