Declaration Signers

21
Who Signed the Declaration of Independence?

Transcript of Declaration Signers

Who Signed the Declaration of Independence?

The SignersThe Signers They committed an act of treason.

They arguably had more to risk than to gain.

Most were men of property & means.

John Hancock already had a price on his head.

The penalty for treason was death.

The SignersThe Signers Oldest=Ben Franklin, 70

Youngest=Edward Rutledge, 26

Most Famous=John Hancock President of the Continental Congress

Two Future Presidents=John Adams & Thomas Jefferson

The SignersThe Signers 18 were under 40

3 were in their 20s

24 were lawyers & judges

11 were merchants

9 were land owners and farmers

12 were doctors, ministers, & politicians

54 had families

“Indeed we must all hang together, otherwise we shall most assuredly hang separately.”—Ben Franklin

The SignersThe Signers 56 Total

9 Died of wounds or injury during the war

5 Captured & imprisoned

Several lost families & wives

All were hunted by the British & many were driven from their homes

12 Had their homes burned to the ground

17 Lost every penny

Not one ever defected, gave up or went back on his word

Abraham Clark, NJAbraham Clark, NJ Had 2 sons serve as officers in the army. Both were

captured and held on prison ships in New York Harbor. They were brutalized and placed in solitary confinement.

With the end of the war in sight, the war almost won, and his sons near death, the British offered Clark his sons if he would offer his support to the King and Parliament.

His answer: “No”

Francis Lewis, NYFrancis Lewis, NY His home was ransacked & then destroyed by the British

His wife was captured & brutalized by soldiers & later died from her injuries

William Floyd, NYWilliam Floyd, NY Escaped w/ his family to Connecticut.

They were refugees for 7 yrs. w/o income.

Their home was devastated & left in ruins

Phillip Livingston, NYPhillip Livingston, NY He & his family were driven from their home.

He died 2 yrs. Later while still working in congress.

His family lost great land holdings in NY.

Lewis Morris, NY Lewis Morris, NY Lost all of his livestock, timber, & crops

Driven from home for 7 yrs. Had no contact w/ his family at this time

John Hart, NJJohn Hart, NJ Risked his life to return to visit his dying wife.

Chased by Hessian soldiers, & fled into the woods.

While his wife was on her death bed, the soldiers wrecked his home & ruined his farm.

At age 65 he slept in caves, & was hunted across the countryside.

Finally was able to find out that his wife was dead & his 13 children were gone.

He never saw his family again. He died in 1779 a broken man.

Richard Stockton, NJRichard Stockton, NJ Rushed home to flee w/ his wife & kids. Then hid w/ friends.

Tory sympathizers turned them in.

Dragged from bed, he was brutally beaten by soldiers & thrown into jail. He was starved. His health ruled, he was paroled as invalid.

His home was burned & his family was forced to live off of charity.

Robert Morris, PARobert Morris, PA Lost 150 ships at sea during the war & died penniless

George Clymer, PAGeorge Clymer, PA Escaped w/ his family, but their home was completely destroyed

during the war.

John Morton, PAJohn Morton, PA Ostracized by friends & family, he died in 1777 as a troubled man.

William Ellery, RIWilliam Ellery, RI Saw his property destroyed & his home burned to the ground.

Thomas Lynch, SCThomas Lynch, SC Suffered from exposure & malnutrition while in the military as an

officer.

He left w/ his new bride to recover & their ship disappeared. Neither was ever seen again. He was only 30.

Edward Rutledge, Arthur Edward Rutledge, Arthur Middleton, Thomas Heyward; SC Middleton, Thomas Heyward; SC

Captured at Charleston, they were held in prison for 7 yrs.

All of their property was completely devastated.

Thomas Nelson, VAThomas Nelson, VA Borrowed $2 million for the cause of liberty & used his home as

collateral.

Congress refused to pay him back & he died in poverty in 1789.

He urged Washington to blast his own home w/ cannon fire when the British moved into it in order to set up a headquarters.