Declaration of Independence Signers

A group of 56 brave men made up the group of Declaration of Independence signers during the summer of 1776. These men risked their lives to place their signatures on the historical document that symbolizes the beginning of the United States of America.

Fun Facts about the Declaration of Independence Signers

The oldest signer of the Declaration of Independence was Benjamin Franklin, who was 70 at the time of the signing

Where and when was the signing of the Declaration of Independence? The formal signing ceremony of the Declaration of Independence text did not take place until August 2, 1776, at Independence Hall in Philadelphia. However, not all of the 56 signers signed that day. We celebrate July 4th as Independence Day because that is the day that Congress approved the final draft of the text.

Several signers of the Declaration of Independence text did not sign the document during the official ceremony. They added their signatures at a later date.

John Hancock was the first to sign the Declaration of Independence text, and his signature is also the largest. This is why the phrase put "your John Hancock" became popular.

Robert Livingston refused to sign the Declaration of Independence, even though he was one of the "Committee of Five". He believed that it was too soon to declare independence and refused to sign his name - Source: constitutionfacts.com John Dickinson also refused to sign the document - Source: thedeclarationofindependence.org

To read more about the signers of the Declaration of Independence, I highly recommend the book "For You They Signed" by Marilyn Boyer. This book has a great online activity guide that you get free when you purchase the beautiful hardcover book. The book has short bios on each and every signer. Perfect for home schooling, devotional family time, or just reading and enjoying!

The signers of the Declaration of Independence text and their states are listed below

Georgia:

• Button Gwinnett
• Lyman Hall
• George Walton

North Carolina:

• William Hooper
• Joseph Hewes
• John Penn

South Carolina:

• Edward Rutledge
• Thomas Heyward, Jr.
• Thomas Lynch, Jr.
• Arthur Middleton

Maryland:

• Samuel Chase
• William Paca
• Thomas Stone
• Charles Carroll

Virginia:

• George Wythe
• Richard Henry Lee
• Thomas Jefferson
• Benjamin Harrison
• Thomas Nelson, Jr.
• Francis Lightfoot Lee
• Carter Braxton

Pennsylvania:

• Robert Morris
• Benjamin Rush
• Benjamin Franklin
• John Morton
• George Clymer
• James Smith
• George Taylor
• James Wilson
• George Ross

Delaware:

• Caesar Rodney
• George Read
• Thomas McKean

New York:

• William Floyd
• Philip Livingston
• Francis Lewis
• Lewis Morris

New Jersey:

• Richard Stockton
• John Witherspoon
• Francis Hopkinson
• John Hart
• Abraham Clark

New Hampshire:

• Josiah Bartlett
• Matthew Thornton
• William Whipple

Massachusetts:

• John Hancock
• John Adams
• Robert Treat Paine
• Samuel Adams
• Elbridge Gerry

Rhode Island:

• Stephen Hopkins
• William Ellery

Connecticut:

• Roger Sherman
• Samuel Huntington
• William Williams
• Oliver Wolcott

For more historical documents, visit our other pages - The Declaration of Independence Text, The Bill of Rights Amendments and the US Constitution text.

For the kids, the National Park Service has a fun word search puzzle on the Declaration of Independence signers - it's free to print out!