On July 4, 1776, delegates to the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia formally adopted the Declaration of Independence, a document asserting that the Thirteen American Colonies were now free and independent states no longer subject to British parliamentary authority or the rule of King George III. The declaration articulated philosophical principles drawn from Enlightenment thinkers—most notably natural rights and government by consent—and listed grievances against the British crown and Parliament to justify the break. The text adopted on July 4 was the culmination of weeks of debate and drafting. A five‑member committee—Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert R. Livingston—had been appointed on June 11 to prepare a statement explaining the colonies’ position. Jefferson produced the principal draft, which was revised by the committee and further edited in Congress. Votes for independence were taken on July 2, when a majority of colonies voted in favor of Lee’s resolution for independence; July 4 marks the date Congress approved the final text of the Declaration for publication. Adoption of the Declaration did not itself create an immediate, functioning national government; rather, it asserted a political and moral case for separation and provided a unifying statement for the revolutionary cause. News of the decision spread slowly across the continent and abroad, carried by ship and courier; public readings and broadsides circulated the printed Declaration in the following weeks. Military conflict between colonial forces and British troops had already been underway since April 1775, and the Declaration helped to frame the war as a struggle for independence rather than a dispute over parliamentary representation. The precise process of signing the document is sometimes conflated with its adoption. While the Continental Congress approved the Declaration’s text on July 4, many delegates did not sign the engrossed parchment version until later—most famously on August 2, 1776—though some signatures were added at various times thereafter. Historical records show variations in dating and in the sequence of events surrounding publication and signing, which has led to some common misunderstandings about the timeline. The Declaration’s language and assertions had enduring consequences. Its assertion that “all men are created equal” and possess unalienable rights became a touchstone for later political movements and debates about rights and citizenship, even as those principles were contested and unevenly applied in the early republic. Internationally, the Declaration signaled to foreign powers the colonies’ determination to seek recognition and support, which would prove consequential in diplomatic and military alliances, particularly with France. July 4 subsequently became the principal date commemorated as American Independence Day, observed with public readings of the Declaration, parades, and celebrations that evolved over the nineteenth and twentieth centuries into the national holiday recognized today. Historians continue to study the Declaration’s drafting process, its philosophical influences, and its immediate and long‑term political effects, noting both the document’s rhetorical power and the complexities of its historical context.