Signers of the Declaration of Independence | FoundingTheUSA.com

The Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776. The document most people picture today is the engrossed parchment copy, and delegates began signing that version on August 2, 1776. In total, 56 delegates eventually signed the Declaration, although not all were present on the same day.

The signers came from all thirteen colonies and included lawyers, merchants, physicians, planters, legislators, and political leaders. By attaching their names to the Declaration, they publicly backed independence from Great Britain and tied their reputations to the revolutionary cause. The U.S. House History office notes that fifty-six delegates signed the document approved on July 4, 1776.

Not every delegate who supported independence signed the Declaration, and not every man associated with drafting it appears among the signatures. Robert R. Livingston, for example, was a member of the Committee of Five but never signed the Declaration.

Signers by Colony

New Hampshire

Massachusetts

Rhode Island

Connecticut

New York

New Jersey

Pennsylvania

Delaware

Maryland

Virginia

North Carolina

South Carolina

Georgia

The National Archives transcription of the engrossed Declaration lists the signers by colony, arranged from north to south, and also notes several late signers, including Elbridge Gerry, Oliver Wolcott, Lewis Morris, Thomas McKean, and Matthew Thornton.

Why the Signers Matter

The signers of the Declaration of Independence have become some of the most remembered figures of the American founding, but they were not all alike. Some are nationally famous, such as John Hancock, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson. Others are much less known today, even though they took the same public step by signing the document. The group included men from large colonies and small ones, northern colonies and southern ones, and from a wide range of professions and backgrounds.

Their signatures turned the Declaration from a statement into a public act. Once signed, the break with Great Britain was no longer just rhetoric or debate. It was formal, visible, and personal. That is one reason the names at the bottom of the document still matter so much.

What This Page Will Become

This page serves as the main hub for the signers of the Declaration of Independence. As more pages are added, each signer’s name can link to an individual biography page with basic facts, public service, role in the Revolution, and connections to other founding documents.