The engrossed United States Declaration of Independence bears the names of 56 delegates.
These delegates represented the thirteen colonies in the Second Continental Congress. The parchment copy is the formal version now associated with the signing of the declaration, and its signatures are arranged by colony or state, with John Hancock’s name prominently placed as president of Congress.
The popular image of all delegates signing together on July 4 is an oversimplification. Congress adopted the declaration on July 4, but most historians conclude that the main signing ceremony occurred on August 2, 1776. Some delegates signed later, and a few were absent when the principal ceremony took place.
The 56 signers included well-known figures such as John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and George Washington did not sign the declaration. Washington was serving as commander of the Continental Army rather than as a delegate to Congress.