Fifty-six delegates eventually signed the engrossed Declaration of Independence in 1776. The document represented the thirteen colonies and carried the names of delegates from each colonial delegation, along with John Hancock’s prominent signature as president of Congress.
The Declaration was adopted on July 4, 1776, but the signing did not necessarily happen in one single ceremony on that date. Most historians believe that most delegates signed the parchment on August 2, while others added their names later. Some signers were not present in Philadelphia on July 4.
The group included future presidents Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, as well as Benjamin Franklin. Edward Rutledge of South Carolina was the youngest signer at 26, while Franklin was the oldest at 70. Charles Carroll of Carrollton was the last surviving signer, dying in 1832.
The figure 56 refers to the eventual signers of the engrossed parchment, not the number of delegates who voted for independence on July 4. The voting and signing involved related but distinct stages in the document’s history.