Which document’s adoption is America250 commemorating on July 4, 2026?

America250 is commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 2026.

The Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration in Philadelphia in 1776. The document announced that the thirteen American colonies regarded themselves as independent states rather than subjects of Great Britain. Thomas Jefferson drafted the main text with assistance from the Committee of Five and revisions by Congress.

The Declaration is both a political statement and a philosophical argument. Its best-known principles include the equality of people and the idea that governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed. The text also lists grievances against King George III.

The Declaration should not be confused with the Constitution. The Constitution established the framework of the federal government in 1787, eleven years after the Declaration. The Articles of Confederation served as the first national framework during the period between them.