When was the Declaration of Independence signed?
The Declaration of Independence was approved on July 4, 1776, which is why it is celebrated on that date. Most delegates actually signed the official copy on August 2, 1776.
The Second Continental Congress voted for independence from Britain on July 2, 1776. Two days later, on July 4, it approved the final wording of the Declaration, and printed copies were sent across the colonies. John Adams expected July 2 to become the national holiday.
A formal handwritten copy on parchment was prepared, and most of the 56 delegates signed it on August 2, 1776. Some added their names later. John Hancock, president of the Congress, signed first with his famously large signature.
Where it is today
The signed parchment is displayed at the National Archives in Washington, D.C., in a case filled with argon gas to protect it. Two signers who later became presidents, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, both died on July 4, 1826, exactly 50 years after the Declaration was approved.
Did You Know?
The youngest signer was Edward Rutledge of South Carolina, aged 26, and the oldest was Benjamin Franklin, aged 70.