Which founding document does America250 commemorate on July 4, 2026?

America250 commemorates the United States Declaration of Independence on July 4, 2026.

The document was adopted by the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia in 1776. It announced that the Thirteen Colonies regarded themselves as free and independent states rather than colonies under British rule. It also explained the political arguments and grievances supporting separation.

The Declaration was not the same as the Constitution. The Constitution, written in 1787, created the framework of the federal government, while the Declaration explained the break from Great Britain. The Articles of Confederation later served as the first U.S. governing framework before the Constitution replaced them.

Thomas Jefferson drafted the main text as a member of the Committee of Five, but Congress debated and edited his draft. The famous parchment copy now displayed in Washington, D.C., is the engrossed version signed by delegates.