The Declaration of Independence was signed primarily on August 2, 1776, rather than on its July 4 adoption date.
Congress adopted the Declaration on July 4, but the formal engrossed parchment had to be prepared before most delegates could sign it. Historians generally conclude that the main signing occurred at the Pennsylvania State House, later called Independence Hall, on August 2.
The distinction between adoption and signing explains a common source of confusion. July 4 is printed on the document and became the national holiday, while August 2 refers to the principal signing ceremony. Some delegates who were absent signed later, so the signatures were not all added on exactly the same day.
The document bears 56 signatures. John Hancock’s prominent signature is especially famous, but the act represented the collective commitment of delegates from the thirteen colonies.