Legal-Ease: Signing the Declaration of Independence then and signing receipts now

We sign various documents all the time, and what our signature means changes depending upon what’s being signed. Sometimes signing a document confirms certain facts, other times a signature is a commitment, and sometimes signatures mean absolutely nothing. 

For example, signing for the delivery of an item that’s already paid for just confirms the receipt of an item. But signing a credit card slip represents a promise to pay for goods.