Most delegates signed the Declaration of Independence on August 2, 1776, according to the prevailing historical conclusion.
Congress adopted the Declaration on July 4, but the formal engrossed parchment was not ready for the main signing ceremony until later. On August 2, many delegates gathered to place their names on the document. Other signatures were added afterward as additional delegates became available.
The familiar image of all the delegates signing on July 4 is therefore misleading. July 4 remains the date of adoption and the basis for Independence Day and America250, while August 2 is associated with the principal signing ceremony.
The distinction also reflects how eighteenth-century documents were produced. Congress debated and revised the text, approved it, ordered an official copy prepared, and then obtained signatures. The Declaration’s wording, adoption, engrossment, and signing were related steps rather than one single event on one day.