On July 4, 1776, the United States officially declared its independence from the British Empire when the Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence. The Declaration was authored by a “Committee of Five”—John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Robert Livingston, and Roger Sherman—with Jefferson as the main drafter. But Jefferson himself later admitted The Declaration of Independence is one of the most significant documents in the history of the United States, representing the country’s break from British rule and the foundation of a new nation. However, what many people may not know is the surprising number of Christian signers of the document, and the role that religion played in the founding of America. While some may assume that the John Morton (1725-1777) —John Morton was the first signer of the Declaration of Independence to die and was one of nine signers from Pennsylvania. He was elected to the Second Continental Congress from 1774-77, and was the chairman of the committee that reported the Articles of Confederation. In an event of historic coincidence, both Thomas Jefferson and John Adams died on July 4,1826: the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. It is rumored that late in the afternoon before John Adams died, unaware of the passing of Jefferson, he said “Thomas Jefferson survives.” Step into history like never before. Watch America's brave Signers of the Declaration of Independence come to life to share their stories, struggles, and Signers of the Declaration of Independence Download this Information in PDF Format In 1787, Franklin served as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention at age 81, becoming one of only six men to sign both the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. From the DAR Americana Collection Among the wide variety of holdings in the DAR Americana Collection is a collection of all of the signatures of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. This exhibit includes a biography, signature, and portrait for each of the 56 signers. When the engrossed parchment copies of the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution were installed at the National Archives on December 15, 1952, President Harry S. Truman connected the two documents as follows: “Everyone who holds office in the Federal Government or in the government of one of our States takes an oath to support the Constitution of the United States. I The signers of the Declaration of Independence are characterized here, and we have also listed each person below in alphabetical order, followed by their age at the time the Declaration was signed. Six of the signers—George Clymer, Benjamin Franklin, Robert Morris, George Read, Roger Sherman, and James Wilson—also signed the Constitution. Sixteen of them underwrote the Articles of Confederation. Only two, Roger Sherman and Robert Morris, affixed their signatures to the Declaration, Constitution, and Articles. Discover the hidden history behind the signers of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution in our latest article. Did you know not all the famous figures signed both documents? The Declaration of Independence of the United States of America by Armand-Dumaresq (c. 1873) has been hanging in the White House Cabinet Room since the late 1980s The Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, with 12 of the 13 colonies voting in favor and New York abstaining. The date that the Declaration was signed has long been the subject of debate A sampling of other Declaration of Independence signers who served in the Continental Congress in York between Sept. 30, 1777, and June 28, 1778. July 2, 1776, is the day that the Second Continental Congress voted for independence and for two days, delegates debated and edited the Declaration written over a three-week period by Thomas Jefferson. It is generally believed that John Hancock as the President of Congress was the only delegate to sign the Declaration on July 4 th. Brief but detail-rich biographies of all the signers of the Declaration of Independence. Signers of The Declaration of Independence Because I found the information difficult to find on the Internet, I compiled the demographics for the Signers of the Declaration of Independence for this page. It mirrors the data found on a similar page which has demographics for the attendees of the Constitutional Convention and another for the [] Who was the oldest Signer of the Declaration of Independence? Which Signer was also a musician? Learn the answers to these and other questions, and get our fact sheet about the Signers of the Declaration of Independence. Visit the Gallery Signers of the Declaration of Independence Among the wide variety of holdings in the DAR Americana Collection is a collection of all of the signatures of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. This exhibit includes a biography, signature, and portrait for each of the 56 signers. 24/7 Wall St. takes a look at the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence.
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