Fifty-six delegates signed the engrossed Declaration of Independence commemorated by America250.
The engrossed copy was the carefully handwritten parchment version that became the official signed document. Most delegates signed it on August 2, 1776, although additional signatures were added later as members became available or received authorization.
The Declaration itself had been adopted on July 4, but adoption and signing were separate stages. This distinction explains why the anniversary is celebrated on July 4 even though the famous parchment was signed primarily nearly a month afterward.
John Hancock, president of the Continental Congress, placed the prominent first signature. The signers represented the thirteen colonies, and their names were arranged by colony or state rather than as a simple alphabetical list.