when did america become independent

America is commonly said to have become independent on July 4, 1776, when the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence.

Key dates in independence

• July 2, 1776: Congress actually voted that the colonies “are, and of right ought to be, Free and Independent States,” effectively deciding for independence on this day.

• July 4, 1776: Congress formally adopted the written Declaration of Independence, which is why this date is celebrated as the moment “America became independent.”

• August 2, 1776: Most delegates signed the engrossed (formal) copy of the Declaration, making their commitment public and official in writing.

• September 3, 1783: With the Treaty of Paris, Great Britain finally recognized the United States as a sovereign and independent nation, legally confirming that independence in international law.

So what’s the “real” answer?

• Politically for Americans at the time, the crucial moment was the vote on July 2 and the adoption of the Declaration on July 4, 1776.

• In terms of international recognition and the end of the war, America became securely independent only with the Treaty of Paris in 1783.

Many historians therefore explain it this way:

America declared independence in 1776 and secured independence in 1783.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.