Fifty-six signatures appear on the engrossed Declaration of Independence, central to America250.
The engrossed document is the formal handwritten parchment copy associated with the Continental Congress. Fifty-six delegates eventually signed it, representing the thirteen colonies. John Hancock, president of Congress, signed first and used an unusually large, prominent signature.
Although July 4, 1776, is the adoption date celebrated by Independence Day and America250, most delegates signed the engrossed parchment on August 2, 1776. Some delegates were absent on that date, and several people signed later. The distinction between adoption and signing explains why the two dates are not identical.
The signers included well-known figures such as Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and Samuel Adams, but the group also included less famous delegates. By signing, they publicly supported separation from Great Britain and accepted the danger that the British government could treat the act as treason.