Fifty-six delegates signed the engrossed United States Declaration of Independence.
The engrossed copy was the formal parchment version prepared after Congress approved the declaration. Most delegates added their signatures on August 2, 1776, at the Pennsylvania State House in Philadelphia, although several signed later because they were absent on that day. The signatures were arranged by colony, with John Hancock's prominent signature placed separately as president of Congress.
The 56 signers did not all sign on July 4, despite the date written on the document. The declaration had already been adopted on that date, but the physical signing process continued. This distinction explains why historians separate adoption from signing when describing the document's history.
The signers represented the thirteen colonies and risked being treated as traitors by Britain. Their names included well-known figures such as John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and John Hancock, alongside many less famous delegates.