Final answer:
The Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, marking the official separation from British rule and establishing new American ideals of governance based on Enlightenment principles.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776. The Congress convened on July 2 and voted in favor of independence. Two days later, following a review and finalization of the text, the Declaration was officially adopted and released from the committee. Although the famous copy that most people refer to as the Declaration of Independence was signed on August 2, 1776, it is the events of July 4 that are commemorated each year as the birth of the nation.
The Declaration, primarily written by Thomas Jefferson, not only announced the colonies' liberation from British rule but also expressed the philosophical underpinnings of American government, emphasizing the Enlightenment ideals of equality and the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. This historic document set forth a new course for the colonies, transforming them into independent states no longer under British control.