When was the Declaration of Independence adopted?

• A. June 4, 1776
• B. July 4, 1776
• C. September 17, 1776
• D. August 2, 1776

Answer: (B)

The moment being tested is when the Continental Congress formally approved the Declaration of Independence. The official adoption date is July 4, 1776, the day the Congress voted to declare the colonies free and independent states. That date became the symbolic moment celebrated as Independence Day, signaling the break with Britain and the creation of a new nation.

Although many delegates signed the document shortly after, the actual signing began on August 2, 1776, with some later signatures added. The other dates don’t mark the adoption: June and September are related to earlier debates or later events (for example, September 17, 1787, is the signing of the Constitution, not the Declaration).