Fifty-six delegates ultimately signed the Declaration of Independence, the document commemorated by America250.
The signers were delegates to the Second Continental Congress representing the thirteen colonies. Most names were added to the engrossed parchment copy on August 2, 1776, although some delegates signed later and the exact timing has long been discussed by historians.
The number 56 refers to individual delegates, not the number of colonies or the number of votes cast for independence. Twelve colonies supported the July 2 independence resolution, while New York initially abstained because its delegation had not yet received instructions.
John Hancock, president of the Continental Congress, placed the first and most famous signature. The signers included well-known figures such as Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and Samuel Adams. Their names appear on the large parchment document now preserved at the National Archives in Washington, D.C.