Founders Sign Declaration: Independence Made Official
Most of the fifty-six signers didn't actually sign the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. The formal signing ceremony took place on August 2, 1776, when the engrossed parchment copy was ready. Some delegates signed even later, and some who voted for independence on July 2 never signed at all. Benjamin Franklin reportedly said, "We must all hang together, or most assuredly we shall all hang separately." Every signature was an act of treason against the British Crown, punishable by death. Nine signers died during the Revolution, five were captured and tortured, twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. The document they signed became the philosophical foundation for democratic movements worldwide.
August 2, 1776
250 years ago
Key Figures & Places
What Else Happened on August 2
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