Many Americans celebrate July 4 as the nation’s birthday, but few realize that the Declaration of Independence was not actually signed on that day. This year carries special significance, as August 2 marks the 250th anniversary of the day the signing began.
While the Continental Congress officially approved the Declaration on July 4, 1776, the famous parchment copy bearing the signatures of the Founding Fathers was not ready until weeks later.
On July 19, 1776, Congress ordered that the Declaration be “fairly engrossed” on parchment. Philadelphia calligrapher Timothy Matlack carefully hand-lettered the document that would become one of the most important records in American history.
Then, on August 2, 1776, delegates gathered at the Pennsylvania State House—today known as Independence Hall in Philadelphia—to begin signing the document. Benjamin Rush of Pennsylvania later recalled a “pensive and awful silence” as delegates were called forward one by one to sign with a goose-quill pen. John Hancock, President of the Continental Congress, signed first with his famously large, bold signature, followed by many of the delegates who were present that day.
In total, 56 men eventually signed the Declaration of Independence, though historians estimate that about 49 actually signed on August 2. Some delegates—including Elbridge Gerry, Oliver Wolcott, Lewis Morris, Thomas McKean, and Matthew Thornton—added their signatures weeks or even months later, while a few who had voted for independence on July 4 were no longer present. Likewise, some of the men who signed the parchment had not been present for the vote on July 4.
The moment carried real danger. By signing the Declaration, these men openly rejected British rule and risked being charged with treason against the Crown. Their signatures represented not only a declaration of independence but also a personal commitment to a war whose outcome was far from certain. At the same time, George Washington, commanding the Continental Army in New York, was reporting the arrival of additional British warships and warning that many American troops were becoming dangerously ill.
Today, 250 years later, August 2 is remembered as the day America’s Founding Fathers began signing the document that gave birth to the United States.
Sources:
- Constituting America
- U.S. National Archives
- National Park Service
- X (@TodayinHistory)
- X (@RepTomSuozzi)
Image: Screenshots from X (@TodayinHistory and @RepTomSuozzi).