Fifty-six delegates eventually signed the Declaration of Independence, the document at the center of America250’s 2026 commemoration.
The signers were delegates to the Second Continental Congress representing the thirteen colonies. John Hancock, president of Congress, placed the first and most prominent signature on the engrossed parchment. The names were arranged by state, geographically from north to south, rather than strictly by signing order.
The date of signing is often confused with the adoption date. Congress approved the Declaration on July 4, 1776, but most historians conclude that the main signing ceremony occurred on August 2. Some delegates were absent that day and signed later, so the total of 56 describes the eventual group of signers.