The Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, announcing the United States’ separation from Great Britain.
The document grew from the Revolutionary War and the colonies’ dispute with Parliament and King George III. Thomas Jefferson drafted the main text as part of a five-person committee that also included John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert Livingston. Congress debated and revised Jefferson’s draft in Philadelphia.
The declaration stated that the thirteen colonies were free and independent states and explained political principles about government and human rights. July 4 marks adoption of the final text, not necessarily the day every delegate signed the parchment. Most delegates signed the engrossed copy on August 2, 1776, while additional signatures followed later. The document therefore served both as a statement of independence and as an explanation of why the colonies believed separation was justified.