Which founding document does the United States’ 2026 America250 celebration commemorate?

The 2026 America250 celebration commemorates the Declaration of Independence. The Second Continental Congress adopted the document on July 4, 1776.

The Declaration announced that the Thirteen Colonies regarded themselves as free and independent states rather than part of the British Empire. It also presented an explanation of the colonies’ separation and listed grievances against King George III.

Thomas Jefferson drafted the main text as part of a Committee of Five. Congress debated and edited the draft before approving it. The famous engrossed parchment copy was signed primarily on August 2, 1776, although the document carries the date July 4.

This distinction causes a common mix-up: adoption and signing were not exactly the same event. America250 uses July 4 because that is the date Congress adopted the Declaration, making it the central date of the United States’ independence commemoration.