July 4, 1776: Declaration of Independence Adopted & Printed Late in the morning of July 4, the Declaration was officially adopted, and the "Committee of Five" took the manuscript copy of the document to John Dunlap, official printer to the Congress. The signing of the United States Declaration of Independence occurred primarily on August 2, 1776, at the Pennsylvania State House, later renamed Independence Hall, in Philadelphia. A popular essay outlines the fates of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, but many of its details are inaccurate. Have you ever wondered what happened to the fifty-six men who signed the Declaration of Independence? This is the price they paid: Five signers were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured before they died. Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost their sons in the revolutionary army, another had two sons captured. The signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776 marked a pivotal moment in American history, but what happened to the brave men who affixed their names to this groundbreaking document The Signers of the Declaration of Independence All of the colonies were represented in Philadelphia to consider the delicate case for independence and to change the course of the war. In all, there were fifty-six representatives from the thirteen colonies. Fourteen represented the New England Colonies, twenty-one represented the Middle Colonies and twenty-one represented the South-ern Colonies At this time, only three signers of the Declaration were still alive – John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and Charles Carroll of Carrollton. Stone’s engraving was finished in 1823 and Congress authorized 200 copies to be printed on parchment. What happened to the signers of the Declaration of Independence? This is the Price They Paid Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence? Five signers were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured before they died. Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Nine of the 56 who signed the Declaration of Independence fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War. Five signers were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured as traitors, then died. Fifty-six men from each of the original 13 colonies signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. Nine of the signers were immigrants, two were brothers and two were cousins. The Congress formally adopted the Declaration of Independence—written largely by Jefferson—in Philadelphia on July 4, a date now celebrated as the birth of American independence. What Happened to the Signers of the Declaration of Independence, Part 2 Conclusion By Dani Crossley Pennsylvania. The Declaration was signed in Philadelphia, and Pennsylvania had nine signers! John Morton, farmer and surveyor, about 52 when signing, and first of the signers to die. Have you ever wondered what happened to the fifty-six men who signed the Declaration of Independence? This is the price they paid: Five signers were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured before they died. Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost their sons in the revolutionary army, another had two sons captured. Nine of the fifty-six fought and died from wounds or “Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence? Five signers were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured before they died. On July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was approved by the Continental Congress. The document announced the separation of the 13 North American British colonies from Great Britain. The vote actually took place on July 2 and was approved by 12 colonies (with New York abstaining). The final version of the Declaration of Independence was formally approved on July 4, which became the What happened to the 56 Signers of the Declaration of Independence? Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence? Five signers were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured before they died. Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. On July 4, 1776 the Continental Congress approved the text of the Declaration of Independence–the “Dear George” letter, if you will, by which the colonists told the British “We are breaking U.S. Militia Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence? Five signers were captured by the British as traitors and tortured before they died. Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army, another had two sons captured. About the Signers of the Declaration of Independence Connecticut • Delaware • Georgia • Maryland • Massachusetts • New Hampshire • New Jersey • New York • North Carolina • Pennsylvania • South Carolina • Rhode Island • Virginia All of the colonies were represented in Philadelphia to consider the delicate case for independence and to change the course of the war. In all Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence? Five signers were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured before they died. Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army; another had two sons captured.
Articles and news, personal stories, interviews with experts.
Photos from events, contest for the best costume, videos from master classes.
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | |
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() |