Fifty-six delegates' signatures appear on the engrossed Declaration celebrated by America250.
The signers were delegates to the Second Continental Congress representing the Thirteen Colonies. Their names appear in groups by colony, with John Hancock's prominent signature set apart because he was president of Congress.
The number 56 refers to the signatures on the surviving engrossed parchment, not to the number of colonies or the number of delegates present at every moment. The colonies numbered 13, while the document's signers represented those colonies in Congress.
The signing is also surrounded by a common misconception. Although the document bears the date July 4, 1776, most delegates are generally believed to have signed the engrossed copy on August 2, with some signing later. The Declaration was adopted on July 4; adoption and signing were related but distinct steps.