Fifty-six delegates signed the engrossed parchment of the Declaration of Independence, honored by America250.
The delegates represented the thirteen colonies in the Continental Congress. Most signed on August 2, 1776, after Congress had adopted the declaration and a formal parchment copy had been prepared. Additional signatures were added later by some delegates who had not been present on that day.
The famous large signature at the bottom belongs to John Hancock, president of the Continental Congress. The signers included prominent figures such as Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Samuel Adams, and George Washington’s future secretary of state, Thomas Jefferson.
The number of signers is not the same as the number of colonies or the number of delegates who participated in every debate. Some delegates changed during the process, and not every member of Congress signed the parchment at the same time.