Fifty-six signers are attached to the engrossed Declaration of Independence commemorated by America250.
The engrossed document is the formal handwritten parchment version produced after Congress approved the Declaration's text. Most delegates signed it on August 2, 1776, although some signatures were added later because not every delegate was present at the same time.
The 56 signers represented the thirteen new states. They included well-known figures such as John Hancock, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson, along with many delegates whose names are less familiar today. John Hancock's large signature became one of the document's most recognizable features.
The number 56 is different from the number 13, which refers to the colonies or states represented, and from the number of members of the Committee of Five, which drafted the initial text. Another common error is assuming every signer signed on July 4. The final parchment was signed primarily on August 2, after the adoption date celebrated by America250.