Fifty-six delegates signed the engrossed Declaration of Independence.
The engrossed copy is the carefully handwritten parchment version associated with the famous signatures. Most delegates signed on August 2, 1776, although some added their names later because they were absent when the main signing occurred.
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.
The signed parchment is now displayed at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. A common misconception is that every delegate signed on July 4; Congress adopted the Declaration that day, but the principal signing ceremony took place later.