On what date was the United States Declaration of Independence largely signed?

The United States Declaration of Independence was largely signed on August 2, 1776.

The Continental Congress adopted the Declaration on July 4, but delegates signed the engrossed parchment several weeks later. Most delegates placed their names on it during the August 2 signing, although some signatures were added afterward.

This creates three dates that are often confused: July 2 for the independence resolution, July 4 for adoption of the Declaration, and August 2 for the principal signing ceremony. Independence Day commemorates July 4, not the signing date.

The parchment now displayed at the National Archives is the engrossed copy. It includes the bold heading “The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America” and the signatures that made the document an enduring national symbol.