Which document’s adoption is commemorated by America250 in 2026?

America250 commemorates the adoption of the United States Declaration of Independence in 1776.

The Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration on July 4, 1776, in Philadelphia. It stated that the thirteen American colonies were separating from Great Britain and presented a political explanation for that decision.

Thomas Jefferson drafted the main text, while John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert Livingston served with him on the Committee of Five. The document’s best-known ideals include equality and natural rights, although the new nation did not immediately apply those principles to everyone.

A common mix-up is to identify the Constitution as the document celebrated by the 2026 anniversary. The Constitution was written and ratified later, in 1787 and 1788, and established the federal government’s framework rather than announcing independence from Britain.