August 2nd: The Day the United States Declaration of Independence was Signed

Although the Americans celebrate Independence Day on July 4th, it is true that the actual Declaration did not get signed until August 2nd 1776. The Declaration of Independence resisted the proposal that the United States were under control of the British Empire, and achieved this freedom for the thirteen colonies that were then at war with Great Britain. July 4th saw Congress approve the wording of the Declaration (handwritten by Thomas Jefferson), but August 2nd saw the official signing of the document.

John Trumbull's painting:
Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776

   The reason the manuscript was not signed on July 4th was because some delegates could not be present on this day. Fifty-six men signed the Declaration in total, with the President of Congress John Hancock signing first. Hancock's signature has become a widely recognisable and iconic part of the Declaration, and an element that is treasured on a national scale. Since 1776, the United States Declaration of Independence has become a symbol of human rights, patriotism and equality, especially with this famous statement featured in the document:
   "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness."