Fifty-six delegates eventually signed the United States Declaration of Independence in 1776.
The signers were members of the Second Continental Congress representing the Thirteen Colonies. The Declaration was adopted on July 4, 1776, but most delegates signed the engrossed parchment on August 2 at the Pennsylvania State House in Philadelphia, now known as Independence Hall.
The group included well-known figures such as John Hancock, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and Samuel Adams. It also included lesser-known representatives such as Button Gwinnett of Georgia and Matthew Thornton of New Hampshire. Charles Carroll of Carrollton was the last surviving signer, dying in 1832.
A common mix-up is the belief that every delegate signed on July 4. The exact signing timeline was disputed, and some delegates signed later. The number 56 refers to the delegates whose signatures ultimately appeared on the document, not the number present for the July 4 vote.