And the Second Continental Congress was meeting in Philadelphia to take control of the war effort.

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Following the committee, the Second Continental Congress itself made major -- and mostly positive -- changes of its own.

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We celebrate America on July 4th because that is the day in 1776 when the Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Second Continental Congress.

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Since the Second Continental Congress declared America's independence from Great Britain on July 4, 1776, the United States government has sought to realize the fundamental principle on which our nation was founded: that all people have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

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