Fifty-six delegates signed the United States Declaration of Independence, whose 250th anniversary is commemorated in 2026.
The signers represented the thirteen colonies that became the original states. Their names appear on the engrossed parchment copy, with John Hancock’s large signature standing out prominently as president of the Continental Congress.
The signing story is more complicated than the familiar image suggests. Congress adopted the Declaration on July 4, 1776, but most delegates signed the engrossed parchment on August 2. Several delegates signed later, and historians continue to discuss the precise timing of individual signatures.
The 56 signers included well-known figures such as Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and Samuel Adams, as well as less famous delegates. Nine delegates who participated in Congress or the independence debate did not sign the final document.