Fifty-six people signed the engrossed Declaration of Independence.
The signers were delegates to the Second Continental Congress representing the thirteen colonies that became the original United States. Most signed on August 2, 1776, after Congress adopted the Declaration’s text on July 4. Several delegates signed later, and some delegates who voted for independence did not sign the document.
The names include well-known figures such as John Hancock, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Samuel Adams. The signers came from different colonies and varied widely in age, profession, wealth, and political experience.
The number 56 is often confused with the number of colonies or states. The Declaration names thirteen colonies, and the United States had thirteen states under the Articles of Confederation. The 56 figure specifically counts the people whose names appear as signatories on the engrossed document.