Fifty-six delegates signed the parchment Declaration of Independence displayed in connection with America250.
The signers represented the Thirteen Colonies in the Second Continental Congress. John Hancock, president of Congress, placed the most prominent signature, while the other names were grouped by colony or state in the document’s traditional arrangement.
Most delegates signed on August 2, 1776, nearly a month after Congress adopted the Declaration. Additional delegates signed later, which is why the adoption date and the main signing date are different historical milestones.
The group included future presidents Thomas Jefferson and John Adams. Benjamin Franklin, then 70, was the oldest signer, while Edward Rutledge, age 26, was the youngest. The original parchment is preserved at the National Archives.