The United States Declaration of Independence was signed primarily on August 2, 1776, according to most historians.
Congress approved the Declaration on July 4, but adoption and signing were not necessarily the same event. The engrossed parchment had to be prepared, and delegates who were absent or not yet authorized could not all sign immediately.
Most historians identify August 2 as the main signing date. Some delegates added their signatures later, which means the complete set of 56 names accumulated over time. The date printed on the parchment is July 4, reflecting the document’s approval rather than resolving every question about when each delegate signed.
The traditional image of all delegates signing together on July 4 has therefore been simplified by later storytelling. The political act of adoption happened first; the formal inscription of names followed under more complicated circumstances.