Fifty-six delegates’ signatures appear on the United States Declaration of Independence, the founding document celebrated through America250.
The signers represented the thirteen colonies that declared themselves independent from Great Britain. Their names are arranged by state on the parchment, with prominent figures including John Hancock, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Samuel Adams.
Although July 4, 1776, is the date Congress adopted the Declaration, the signing process was not a single event completed that day. Most delegates signed the engrossed parchment on August 2, while some signed later after arriving in Philadelphia or becoming eligible to participate.
The number 56 refers to the people whose names appear on the document, not the number of colonies or states. The thirteen colonies were the political units represented, while the signers were individual delegates to the Second Continental Congress.