On the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, Sidequests corrects one of American history's most persistent myths: the famous image of all 56 delegates signing the Declaration together on July 4, 1776 is almost entirely fictional. Congress voted for independence on July 2. They approved the final text on July 4. The actual signing happened primarily on August 2 — and then continued for months, with some delegates signing in the fall and one not signing until 1781. The famous Trumbull painting everyone associates with the signing isn't even depicting the signing. The real story is messier, quieter, more complicated — and considerably more interesting than the legend.
","author_name":"Keith Conrad"}