Which document’s adoption does America250 commemorate on its 250th anniversary?

America250 commemorates the 250th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence.

The Second Continental Congress adopted the declaration on July 4, 1776, in Philadelphia. The document explained why the thirteen American colonies were separating from Great Britain and presented independence as a political claim grounded in natural rights and government by consent.

Thomas Jefferson wrote the main draft, working with a committee that included John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert Livingston. Congress revised the text before adopting it. The famous opening and list of grievances made the document one of the most influential statements in modern political history.

The Declaration of Independence is not the same document as the Constitution. The declaration announced independence in 1776; the Constitution, drafted in 1787, established the federal government’s governing framework. America250 centers on the earlier document and its adoption, not the later Constitution.