<P> Legal historian Wilfred Ritz concluded in 1986 that about 34 delegates signed the Declaration on July 4, and that the others signed on or after August 2 . Ritz argued that the engrossed copy of the Declaration was signed by Congress on July 4, as Jefferson, Adams, and Franklin had stated, and that it was implausible that all three men had been mistaken . Ritz believed that McKean's testimony was questionable, and that historians had misinterpreted the July 19 resolution . According to Ritz, this resolution did not call for a new document to be created, but rather for the existing one to be given a new title, which was necessary after New York had joined the other 12 states in declaring independence . Ritz reasoned that the phrase "signed by every member of Congress" in the July 19 resolution meant that delegates who had not signed the Declaration on the 4th were now required to do so . </P> <P> Fifty - six delegates eventually signed the Declaration of Independence: </P> <Table> <Tr> <Td> <P> President of Congress </P> <Dl> <Dd> 1 . John Hancock (Massachusetts Bay) </Dd> </Dl> <P> New Hampshire </P> <Dl> <Dd> 2 . Josiah Bartlett </Dd> <Dd> 3 . William Whipple </Dd> <Dd> 4 . Matthew Thornton </Dd> </Dl> <P> Massachusetts Bay </P> <Dl> <Dd> 5 . Samuel Adams </Dd> <Dd> 6 . John Adams </Dd> <Dd> 7 . Robert Treat Paine </Dd> <Dd> 8 . Elbridge Gerry </Dd> </Dl> <P> Rhode Island and Providence Plantations </P> <Dl> <Dd> 9 . Stephen Hopkins </Dd> <Dd> 10 . William Ellery </Dd> </Dl> <P> Connecticut </P> <Dl> <Dd> 11 . Roger Sherman </Dd> <Dd> 12 . Samuel Huntington </Dd> <Dd> 13 . William Williams </Dd> <Dd> 14 . Oliver Wolcott </Dd> </Dl> <P> New York </P> <Dl> <Dd> 15 . William Floyd </Dd> <Dd> 16 . Philip Livingston </Dd> <Dd> 17 . Francis Lewis </Dd> <Dd> 18 . Lewis Morris </Dd> </Dl> </Td> <Td> <P> New Jersey </P> <Dl> <Dd> 19 . Richard Stockton </Dd> <Dd> 20 . John Witherspoon </Dd> <Dd> 21 . Francis Hopkinson </Dd> <Dd> 22 . John Hart </Dd> <Dd> 23 . Abraham Clark </Dd> </Dl> <P> Pennsylvania </P> <Dl> <Dd> 24 . Robert Morris </Dd> <Dd> 25 . Benjamin Rush </Dd> <Dd> 26 . Benjamin Franklin </Dd> <Dd> 27 . John Morton </Dd> <Dd> 28 . George Clymer </Dd> <Dd> 29 . James Smith </Dd> <Dd> 30 . George Taylor </Dd> <Dd> 31 . James Wilson </Dd> <Dd> 32 . George Ross </Dd> </Dl> <P> Delaware </P> <Dl> <Dd> 33 . Caesar Rodney </Dd> <Dd> 34 . George Read </Dd> <Dd> 35 . Thomas McKean </Dd> </Dl> <P> Maryland </P> <Dl> <Dd> 36 . Samuel Chase </Dd> <Dd> 37 . William Paca </Dd> <Dd> 38 . Thomas Stone </Dd> <Dd> 39 . Charles Carroll of Carrollton </Dd> </Dl> </Td> <Td> <P> Virginia </P> <Dl> <Dd> 40 . George Wythe </Dd> <Dd> 41 . Richard Henry Lee </Dd> <Dd> 42 . Thomas Jefferson </Dd> <Dd> 43 . Benjamin Harrison </Dd> <Dd> 44 . Thomas Nelson, Jr . </Dd> <Dd> 45 . Francis Lightfoot Lee </Dd> <Dd> 46 . Carter Braxton </Dd> </Dl> <P> North Carolina </P> <Dl> <Dd> 47 . William Hooper </Dd> <Dd> 48 . Joseph Hewes </Dd> <Dd> 49 . John Penn </Dd> </Dl> <P> South Carolina </P> <Dl> <Dd> 50 . Edward Rutledge </Dd> <Dd> 51 . Thomas Heyward, Jr . </Dd> <Dd> 52 . Thomas Lynch, Jr . </Dd> <Dd> 53 . Arthur Middleton </Dd> </Dl> <P> Georgia </P> <Dl> <Dd> 54 . Button Gwinnett </Dd> <Dd> 55 . Lyman Hall </Dd> <Dd> 56 . George Walton </Dd> </Dl> </Td> </Tr> </Table> <Tr> <Td> <P> President of Congress </P> <Dl> <Dd> 1 . John Hancock (Massachusetts Bay) </Dd> </Dl> <P> New Hampshire </P> <Dl> <Dd> 2 . Josiah Bartlett </Dd> <Dd> 3 . William Whipple </Dd> <Dd> 4 . Matthew Thornton </Dd> </Dl> <P> Massachusetts Bay </P> <Dl> <Dd> 5 . Samuel Adams </Dd> <Dd> 6 . John Adams </Dd> <Dd> 7 . Robert Treat Paine </Dd> <Dd> 8 . Elbridge Gerry </Dd> </Dl> <P> Rhode Island and Providence Plantations </P> <Dl> <Dd> 9 . Stephen Hopkins </Dd> <Dd> 10 . William Ellery </Dd> </Dl> <P> Connecticut </P> <Dl> <Dd> 11 . Roger Sherman </Dd> <Dd> 12 . Samuel Huntington </Dd> <Dd> 13 . William Williams </Dd> <Dd> 14 . Oliver Wolcott </Dd> </Dl> <P> New York </P> <Dl> <Dd> 15 . William Floyd </Dd> <Dd> 16 . Philip Livingston </Dd> <Dd> 17 . Francis Lewis </Dd> <Dd> 18 . Lewis Morris </Dd> </Dl> </Td> <Td> <P> New Jersey </P> <Dl> <Dd> 19 . Richard Stockton </Dd> <Dd> 20 . John Witherspoon </Dd> <Dd> 21 . Francis Hopkinson </Dd> <Dd> 22 . John Hart </Dd> <Dd> 23 . Abraham Clark </Dd> </Dl> <P> Pennsylvania </P> <Dl> <Dd> 24 . Robert Morris </Dd> <Dd> 25 . Benjamin Rush </Dd> <Dd> 26 . Benjamin Franklin </Dd> <Dd> 27 . John Morton </Dd> <Dd> 28 . George Clymer </Dd> <Dd> 29 . James Smith </Dd> <Dd> 30 . George Taylor </Dd> <Dd> 31 . James Wilson </Dd> <Dd> 32 . George Ross </Dd> </Dl> <P> Delaware </P> <Dl> <Dd> 33 . Caesar Rodney </Dd> <Dd> 34 . George Read </Dd> <Dd> 35 . Thomas McKean </Dd> </Dl> <P> Maryland </P> <Dl> <Dd> 36 . Samuel Chase </Dd> <Dd> 37 . William Paca </Dd> <Dd> 38 . Thomas Stone </Dd> <Dd> 39 . Charles Carroll of Carrollton </Dd> </Dl> </Td> <Td> <P> Virginia </P> <Dl> <Dd> 40 . George Wythe </Dd> <Dd> 41 . Richard Henry Lee </Dd> <Dd> 42 . Thomas Jefferson </Dd> <Dd> 43 . Benjamin Harrison </Dd> <Dd> 44 . Thomas Nelson, Jr . </Dd> <Dd> 45 . Francis Lightfoot Lee </Dd> <Dd> 46 . Carter Braxton </Dd> </Dl> <P> North Carolina </P> <Dl> <Dd> 47 . William Hooper </Dd> <Dd> 48 . Joseph Hewes </Dd> <Dd> 49 . John Penn </Dd> </Dl> <P> South Carolina </P> <Dl> <Dd> 50 . Edward Rutledge </Dd> <Dd> 51 . Thomas Heyward, Jr . </Dd> <Dd> 52 . Thomas Lynch, Jr . </Dd> <Dd> 53 . Arthur Middleton </Dd> </Dl> <P> Georgia </P> <Dl> <Dd> 54 . Button Gwinnett </Dd> <Dd> 55 . Lyman Hall </Dd> <Dd> 56 . George Walton </Dd> </Dl> </Td> </Tr>

Who did not want to sign the declaration of independence