Which founding document's adoption is commemorated by America's 250th anniversary in 2026?

America's 250th anniversary in 2026 commemorates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence.

The Second Continental Congress approved the document on July 4, 1776. It announced that the Thirteen Colonies regarded themselves as free and independent states rather than colonies subject to Great Britain.

The Declaration explained the colonies' reasons for separation and presented a political philosophy centered on natural rights and government by consent. Its best-known opening ideas helped make it one of the most influential political documents in modern history.

The Declaration is not the same document as the Constitution, which was drafted in 1787 and became the framework of the federal government. Nor is the anniversary based on the Articles of Confederation, the first U.S. governing charter, which took effect in 1781.