Delegates began signing the engrossed United States Declaration of Independence on August 2, 1776.
Congress adopted the Declaration on July 4, but the final parchment copy was prepared afterward. Most delegates signed that engrossed document in the Pennsylvania State House, now called Independence Hall, beginning on August 2. Additional signatures were added later by members who had not been present on the main signing day.
This distinction explains why the adoption date and the signing date are different. The document’s text was debated and approved in early July, while the ceremonial and legal signing process continued afterward. John Hancock, the president of Congress, signed prominently, followed by other delegates representing the thirteen states.
The Declaration is often treated as a single event, but its history includes the independence vote on July 2, adoption on July 4, and signing beginning on August 2. Those dates describe different stages of the same founding episode.