Fifty-six delegates represented the Thirteen Colonies among the signers of the Declaration of Independence.
The Declaration’s signature block contains the names of 56 delegates to the Second Continental Congress. The signers were grouped by colony or state, with John Hancock listed separately as president of Congress. Their signatures transformed an adopted resolution into the best-known formal statement of American independence.
The number 56 is distinct from several other important numbers associated with the founding. There were 13 colonies, 13 states named in the declaration, and 27 grievances against King George III. Not every congressional delegate signed on the same day, and some delegates who voted for independence did not sign the final parchment.
The signing is often depicted as one simultaneous ceremony, but the historical record indicates a process extending beyond July 4. Most historians place the main signing on August 2, 1776, with additional signatures added afterward.