The United States is generally considered to have been founded on July 4, 1776, when the Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence.

Key founding dates

  • July 4, 1776 – Adoption of the Declaration of Independence, widely treated as the “birthday” of the United States because the colonies formally declared themselves a new nation.
  • September 3, 1783 – Treaty of Paris, in which Great Britain formally recognized the independence and sovereignty of the United States.
  • September 17, 1787 – Signing of the U.S. Constitution, which created the framework for the federal government that still exists today.

Why July 4 is used

Most historians and official commemorations treat July 4, 1776 as the founding date because:

  • The Declaration of Independence is described as the founding document of the United States and is the event celebrated each year as Independence Day.
  • Later milestones, like the Treaty of Paris and the Constitution, built on that initial act of declaring a separate nation.

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