On July 4, 1776, John Hancock and Charles Thomson, Secretary of Congress, signed the first copy. Later Congress directed the Declaration be engrossed and signed by all delegates. Most of the delgates whose names are on the Declaration signed it on August 2, 1776. A few delegates signed on later days.
John Hancock was the first to sign the Declaration of Independence. He was president of the Continental Congress.He used large bold script and signed under the text in the center of the page. He said the reason he signed it large was, "So fat George can read it without his spectacles." This is why, to this day, when you sign something it is called putting your John Hancock on it.What many people don't know is that there were two versions of the Declaration of Independence. John Hancock signed the first one on July 4, 1776. No other delegates signed that version.John Hancock signed the second version on approximately August 22, 1776. This is the version that most of the other delegates signed.
The first official form of the Declaration of Independence was signed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on July 4, 1776. It was signed only by John Hancock and Charles Thomson as Secretary to the Congress then sent to a printer. The Declaration of Independence with all the 56 delegates' signatures was signed at later dates and perhaps in various places. It is not known for certain if that document was signed fully in Pennsylvania, because that signing did not take place until August 2, 1776 and not all delegates signed all at the same time.
The 13 colonies whose delegates signed the Declaration of Independence were: DelawarePennsylvaniaMassachusettsNew HampshireRhode IslandNew York GeorgiaVirginiaNorth CarolinaSouth CarolinaNew JerseyConnecticutMaryland
Although it was announced on July 4, 1776, the Declaration was first signed on August 2, 1776, with the last signature being added in late November. There is no single, perfect date for the adoption of the Declaration. The completed Declaration was accepted on July 2 and some delegates believed that would become an important day in history. On July 4, 1776, a scheduled meeting to discuss the Declaration was cut short and delegates agreed to the wording in principle before adjourning (some say the adjournment was due to nasty horseflies invading the hall). On July 8, it was published as a broadside (at first with only John Hancock's signature). By August, it was published again with most of the signatures. There is no one official version of the Declaration of Independence. Three slightly different versions were approved. The famous painting of the delegates all standing or seated in Independence Hall, waiting to sign the document, is pure fiction. There was never a time when all the signers were together in one place at one time. August 2, 1776
On July 4, 1776, John Hancock and Charles Thomson, Secretary of Congress, signed the first copy. Later Congress directed the Declaration be engrossed and signed by all delegates. Most of the delgates whose names are on the Declaration signed it on August 2, 1776. A few delegates signed on later days.
John Hancock signed both versions of the Declaration of Independence. He signed the first one on July 4, 1776. That was the version that no other delegates signed. Then he signed the second version on or about August 22, 1776. That is the version that most, but not all, of the other delegates signed and the one everyone thinks was signed on July 4th, but was not.
39 delegates signed the Constitution, or 71% of the 55 delegates who attended the convention. Most of those who did not sign had left the convention early -- some for personal reasons, and some out of protest.
John Hancock was the first to sign the Declaration of Independence. He was president of the Continental Congress.He used large bold script and signed under the text in the center of the page. He said the reason he signed it large was, "So fat George can read it without his spectacles." This is why, to this day, when you sign something it is called putting your John Hancock on it.What many people don't know is that there were two versions of the Declaration of Independence. John Hancock signed the first one on July 4, 1776. No other delegates signed that version.John Hancock signed the second version on approximately August 22, 1776. This is the version that most of the other delegates signed.
The 13 colonies whose delegates signed the Declaration of Independence were: DelawarePennsylvaniaMassachusettsNew HampshireRhode IslandNew York GeorgiaVirginiaNorth CarolinaSouth CarolinaNew JerseyConnecticutMaryland
The first official form of the Declaration of Independence was signed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on July 4, 1776. It was signed only by John Hancock and Charles Thomson as Secretary to the Congress then sent to a printer. The Declaration of Independence with all the 56 delegates' signatures was signed at later dates and perhaps in various places. It is not known for certain if that document was signed fully in Pennsylvania, because that signing did not take place until August 2, 1776 and not all delegates signed all at the same time.
In my opinion the biggest myth is that it was adopted and signed by the delegates it on July 4, 1776. Jefferson's draft was changed first by John Adams and Benjamin Franklin, then presented to the Congress, which made further changes. On July 4, 1776 the delegates were done with changes and they had an acceptable format for the declaration. John Hancock and Charles Thomson, Secretary of Congress, were the sole signers that day. Single page copies were printed for distribution again with only Hancock and Thomson's names on it. On July 19, Congres ordered the Declaration be engrossed (made into a larger document) on parchment and signed by all delegates. Most delegates signed it on August 2, 1776. The othe myth is that there is a map on the back. There is not.
Of the 55 delegates, 42 attended most of the meetings, and 39 delegates (and the attesting secretary) actually signed the Constitution. Edmund Randolph and George Mason of Virginia and Elbridge Gerry of Massachusetts refused to sign, due in part to the lack of a bill of rights.
There were several "copies" of the Declaration that were signed by different people on different days without an accurate record kept of who signed and when. The first official copy was signed by only John Hancock and Charles Thomson, Secretary of Congress strictly as a means of authentication the wording as an accurate rendition of the wording adopted in Congress on July 4. It wasn't until July 19 that Congress ordered the document be engrossed and signed by all delegates. That did not happen till August 2, 1776, and even then not all delegates were there to sign as they were supposed to be. Several signed it later. The document signed on August 2, did not refer to the fact that most of the delegates signed it on August 2, 1776. The document had been copied word for word, even the date of July 4 1776. Even on August 2, not all the delegates were present to sign. Some signed on later days.
39 delegates signed the Constitution, or 71% of the 55 delegates who attended the convention. Most of those who did not sign had left the convention early -- some for personal reasons, and some out of protest.
The Constitution was finished on September 12, 1787. Of the 55 delegates, 42 attended most of the meetings, and 39 delegates (and the attesting secretary) actually signed the Constitution. Edmund Randolph and George Mason of Virginia and Elbridge Gerry of Massachusetts refused to sign, due in part to the lack of a bill of rights.
44 men signed. Two of the most famous are Franklin and Hancock.