Engrossed Declaration of Independence, 08/02/1776 - 08/02/1776

Level of Description:

• Item

Type(s) of Archival Materials:

• Textual Records

The creator compiled or maintained the series between:

1774 - 1789

This item documents the time period:

08/02/1776 - 08/02/1776

Access Restriction(s):

• Unrestricted
  

Use Restriction(s):

• Unrestricted
  

Microform Publication(s):

• M332
  Miscellaneous Papers of the Continental Congress, 1774-1789.
  

Online Resource(s):

• Transcript
  A transcript of this document is available online.

On July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence in which the American colonies set forth a list of grievances against the British Crown and declared they were breaking from British rule to form free and independent states. On July 19, 1776, Congress resolved that the Declaration passed on the 4th be fairly engrossed on parchment with the title and stile [sic] "The unanimous declaration of the thirteen United States of America" and that the same, when engrossed, be signed by every member of Congress. The engrossing was most likely done by Timothy Matlack, an assistant to Charles Thomson, Secretary of the Congress. Although it bears the date "July 4, 1776," the engrossed Declaration was signed on August 2, 1776, by members of the Continental Congress who were present that day and later by other members of Congress. A total of 56 delegates eventually signed the document.

ARC Identifier:

1419123

HMS/MLR Entry Number:

UD 2

Other Identifier:

00300
This is the number assigned in the Rediscovery database.

Copy 1:

Preservation

Contact(s):

• Archives I Reference Section, Textual Archives Services Division (NWCT1R), National Archives Building
  7th and Pennsylvania Avenue NW
  Washington, DC 20408
  Phone: 202-357-5385
  Fax: 202-357-5936
  Email: Archives1reference@nara.gov

Copy 1 Media Information:

• Specific Media Type: Parchment