Declaration of Independence by John Trumbull (1818). While John Trumbull’s famous painting (which is also on the back of the $2 bill) is universally associated with the "signing," it actually depicts the five-man drafting committee presenting their draft of the Declaration to Congress on June 28, 1776. There was no single day where everyone sat down to sign it together—most delegates actually signed the engrossed parchment weeks later on August 2, 1776. Image courtesy of the Architect of the Capitol. (click to enlarge)

The signed document currently housed at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. Image courtesy of the National Archives. (click to enlarge)

​250 Years Later: The True Timeline of the Signatures That Forged a Nation
2 July 2026

As the United States marks the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence this week, the nation reflects on the birth of its sovereignty. While the Fourth of July is celebrated as the definitive moment of independence, the physical signing of the historic document was not a singular event. Instead, the authentication and endorsement of the Declaration unfolded over several months, beginning with its publication and continuing through the formal signing of the engrossed parchment into the following year.

The authentication of the Declaration began on July 4, 1776. After the Second Continental Congress officially adopted the finalized text, the document was immediately sent to printer John Dunlap. This initial printed version, known as the Dunlap Broadside, carried only two names to authenticate it. Continental Congress President John Hancock signed the congressional order authorizing publication, and Secretary Charles Thomson provided his attesting signature. These two signatures authorized the immediate printing and distribution of the text to the colonies, local committees, and the Continental Army.

The formal signing of the famous parchment document, which resides today in the National Archives, occurred weeks later. On July 19, 1776, Congress ordered that the Declaration be officially engrossed on parchment. On August 2, 1776, this newly prepared engrossed copy was brought before the Congress. John Hancock, retaining his role as President of the Congress, was the first to affix his signature to this formal document, placing his name prominently in the center of the space directly below the text.

Following Hancock, the remaining delegates present in Philadelphia on August 2 stepped forward to sign. The sequence of their signatures was organized geographically by state delegation, moving systematically from north to south. Delegates from New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut signed first, establishing a column on the far right side of the parchment. They were followed in turn by representatives from New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. These subsequent delegations organized their names in further columns moving toward the left side of the document.

Because not all delegates were present in the Pennsylvania State House on August 2, the signing process continued incrementally as absent members returned. George Wythe, Richard Henry Lee, Elbridge Gerry, and Oliver Wolcott added their names in September of 1776. Matthew Thornton of New Hampshire did not take his seat in Congress until November of 1776, at which point he signed his name near the bottom right corner of the document.

​The final signature is generally understood to have belonged to Thomas McKean of Delaware. McKean had been absent during the August session due to his service with the local militia. Most historians conclude that he added his name to the official parchment sometime in 1777, although the exact date remains uncertain, thereby completing the roster of fifty-six signers.
​