July 4, 2016

In the summer of 1776, when the Declaration was signed, the population of the nation is estimated to have been about 2.5 million. (Today the estimated population of the U.S. is 322.7 million.) One of the most widely held misconceptions about the Declaration of Independence is that it was signed on July 4, 1776. In fact, independence was formally declared on July 2, 1776, a date that John Adams believed would be “the most memorable epocha in the history of America.” On July 4, 1776, Congress officially adopted the Declaration of Independence. However most delegates did not sign the document until August 2, 1776, according to the National Archives.