The handwritten parchment signed by Congress is called the engrossed copy of the Declaration of Independence.
“Engrossed” means carefully written out in a formal hand. This parchment version is the copy most people recognize from reproductions and the one displayed at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. It was prepared after Congress approved the declaration’s wording and was signed primarily on August 2, 1776.
The engrossed copy differs from the Dunlap broadside, which was printed quickly for distribution in July 1776. The broadside helped spread the text, while the parchment served as the formal signed document. Timothy Matlack, a congressional clerk, is commonly associated with engrossing the copy.
The distinction matters when discussing America’s 250th anniversary. July 4 marks adoption of the declaration, but the famous parchment signatures were added later. Saying that all delegates signed the displayed parchment on July 4 repeats a popular but inaccurate simplification of the document’s history.