The engrossed Declaration of Independence was primarily signed on August 2, 1776, distinct from its July 4 adoption.
The Second Continental Congress approved the Declaration on July 4, after debating the text and voting for independence. Congress then ordered a formal handwritten copy on parchment. Timothy Matlack prepared the engrossed document, which was suitable for official signatures and preservation.
The exact signing chronology has been debated for centuries. Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Benjamin Franklin later recalled a July 4 signing, while other evidence indicates that many delegates were not present that day. Most historians therefore identify August 2 as the main signing date, while recognizing that some signatures were added afterward.
This distinction explains a common mix-up in America250 trivia: July 4 marks adoption of the Declaration, whereas August 2 is associated with the main signing of the famous parchment copy. The Declaration became a national symbol through both events.