When did most delegates sign the engrossed Declaration of Independence?

Most delegates signed the engrossed Declaration of Independence on August 2, 1776.

Congress had adopted the Declaration on July 4, but the formal parchment copy was prepared afterward. The engrossed document was handwritten by Timothy Matlack and eventually carried the signatures of 56 delegates representing the Thirteen Colonies.

The signing date is often incorrectly given as July 4 because the document itself is dated “July 4, 1776,” and later generations associated the entire independence ceremony with Independence Day. Historical evidence indicates that most delegates signed nearly a month after adoption, with additional signatures added by delegates who were absent earlier.

The distinction matters because adoption, engrossing, and signing were separate stages. July 4 established the Declaration as Congress’s adopted statement; August 2 marks the principal signing ceremony associated with the surviving parchment.