The Declaration of Independence was adopted on July 4, 1776, but most delegates actually signed it on August 2, 1776, in Philadelphia.

Quick Scoop

The dates in a nutshell

  • July 2, 1776: Congress voted that the colonies were free and independent states.
  • July 4, 1776: Congress approved the text of the Declaration of Independence (the date Americans celebrate as Independence Day).
  • August 2, 1776: Most of the 56 delegates began signing the engrossed (formal handwritten) copy at the Pennsylvania State House, now Independence Hall, in Philadelphia.
  • After August 2, 1776: A few remaining delegates added their signatures later, so not everyone signed on the same day.

Why people think “July 4”

Many people say the Declaration was “signed” on July 4 because:

  • The document itself is dated July 4, 1776.
  • Key leaders like Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Benjamin Franklin later wrote that it was signed on that day.
  • The official record (the Journals of the Continental Congress) lists July 4 as the date the Declaration was engrossed and signed, reinforcing the tradition.

Historians, however, generally agree that the main signing happened nearly a month later, on August 2, 1776.

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