Fifty-six signatures appear on the original Declaration of Independence.
The signers were delegates to the Second Continental Congress representing the thirteen colonies. They did not all sign on July 4, 1776; the engrossed parchment was signed over a period of time, with the largest group signing on August 2.
John Hancock, president of the Continental Congress, signed first and wrote his name prominently. His unusually large signature helped inspire the American expression “John Hancock,” meaning a person’s signature.
The number 56 refers to the names on the document, not to the number of colonies or the number of delegates present at every stage. The Declaration lists the colonies separately, and the colonies later became the original states. This distinction is useful when connecting the document to America250: the 2026 anniversary commemorates adoption of the Declaration, while the signatures reflect the later formalization of that decision.