Fifty-six delegates signed the Declaration of Independence at the center of America250.
The signers were delegates to the Second Continental Congress, representing the thirteen colonies that became the United States. Their names appear on the engrossed parchment copy of the Declaration, the famous version now preserved by the National Archives.
The document’s adoption and signing were not necessarily one single ceremony on July 4. Congress approved the Declaration on that date, while most historians conclude that the main signing occurred on August 2, 1776. Some delegates signed later because they were absent or had not yet received authorization.
John Hancock’s large signature is the most famous, but he was one of 56 signers rather than the only person who signed. The number also differs from the number of colonies: thirteen colonies were represented, but dozens of delegates signed for them.