The engrossed Declaration of Independence was signed primarily on August 2, 1776, according to the America250 story.
Congress adopted the Declaration on July 4, but the final parchment version was prepared afterward. On July 19, Congress ordered that the text be engrossed, meaning carefully handwritten on parchment, with the formal title referring to the thirteen United States of America.
Most historians identify August 2 as the main signing date. Fifty-six delegates eventually signed, although some may have added their names later. The document was signed at the Pennsylvania State House in Philadelphia, the building later known as Independence Hall.
The difference between adoption and signing explains a common historical mix-up. July 4 marks Congress’s approval of the Declaration, while August 2 is associated with the signatures on the official engrossed copy. The parchment is now preserved at the National Archives in Washington, D.C.