Congress approved the final wording of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.
The date became the basis of Independence Day in the United States. Congress had already approved the Lee Resolution on July 2, which declared the Thirteen Colonies independent from Great Britain. It then debated and edited the written declaration explaining that decision.
The final wording was approved on July 4 and sent to printer John Dunlap. The first printed copies, known as Dunlap broadsides, circulated shortly afterward. The formal parchment copy was engrossed later, and most delegates signed it on August 2.
These separate dates cause a frequent historical mix-up. July 2 concerns the vote for independence, July 4 concerns approval of the Declaration’s wording, and August 2 marks the main signing of the engrossed document. The national holiday commemorates July 4.