Which document’s adoption does America250 commemorate as the foundation of the 1776 independence anniversary?

America250 commemorates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence as the foundation of the 1776 independence anniversary.

The Continental Congress adopted the document on July 4, 1776, declaring that the thirteen American colonies were free and independent states. Thomas Jefferson drafted the main text, while Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Roger Sherman, and Robert Livingston helped revise it as the Committee of Five.

The Declaration combined a political announcement with a philosophical argument about natural rights and legitimate government. Its famous opening principles later influenced abolitionists, women’s-rights activists, and independence movements around the world.

A common mix-up is to treat the Declaration as the United States Constitution. They are different documents: the Declaration announced independence, while the Constitution, written in 1787, established the federal government’s framework. The Articles of Confederation preceded the Constitution as the first national governing charter.