{"id":1271,"date":"2026-07-06T02:48:05","date_gmt":"2026-07-06T02:48:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sterlingcooper.info\/blog\/?p=1271"},"modified":"2026-07-06T02:48:05","modified_gmt":"2026-07-06T02:48:05","slug":"what-happened-to-the-56-brave-signers-of-the-declaration-of-independence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sterlingcooper.info\/blog\/what-happened-to-the-56-brave-signers-of-the-declaration-of-independence\/","title":{"rendered":"WHAT HAPPENED TO THE 56 BRAVE SIGNERS OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"post-main\" data-testid=\"what-to-know-article\">\n<div class=\"mx-auto mb-6 mt-5 max-w-[1000px] space-y-4 text-center sm:px-[100px] lg:mb-10 lg:mt-10\">\n<h1 class=\"et-headline-main_heading-4 md:et-headline-main_heading-2\" data-testid=\"special-report-headline-title\">What Happened to the 56 Signatories of the Declaration of Independence<\/h1>\n<h3 class=\"font-etHeadline text-gray-80 hidden text-[22px] leading-[1.4] sm:block\">Before the war was over, five would be captured, 12 would lose their homes, and 17 would lose their fortunes. None renounced the cause of their won free will.<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"mx-auto px-0 lg:px-10 max-w-[1170px] grid lg:grid-cols-[minmax(auto,870px)_300px] lg:gap-7\">\n<div class=\"overflow-x-hidden\">\n<div id=\"post_content\" class=\"post_content post_content2\" data-post-content=\"true\" data-testid=\"post_content\">\n<p>Today the United States celebrates the 250th\u2014or semiquincentennial\u2014anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence.<\/p>\n<p>While July 4 marks the day Thomas Jefferson\u2019s revised draft of the Declaration of Independence was adopted, it would take months for the document to be signed by all 56 men who would eventually affix their names to it.<\/p>\n<p>Several key figures in American history\u2014George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and James Madison, among others\u2014don\u2019t appear among the signatories of the Declaration of Independence at all, having been serving in military roles or other capacities at the time.<\/p>\n<div class=\" mt-0 mb-6 mx-auto text-center eet-ad clear-both print:!hidden\">\n<div class=\"relative flex justify-center text-center mx-auto mt-3\">\n<div id=\"inside_ad_336x280_1\" class=\"bg-[#EDEDED] flex items-center justify-center\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"h-[0px] border-t border-gray-200 mt-3 mb-6 \"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>None of the 56 signers died as a result of their signature, but before the war was over, five would be captured, 12 would have their homes destroyed, and 17 would lose their entire fortunes. None of the 56 signatories ever renounced the cause of independence of their own free will.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">Here\u2019s what happened to the men who pledged \u201cour Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor\u201d to the cause of American independence, on the basis of \u201cself-evident \u2026 Truths\u201d that not even a global empire\u2014or a king\u2014could deny.<\/p>\n<h2>\u2018The Sage of Monticello\u2019: Thomas Jefferson<\/h2>\n<p>Easily the most well-known of the Declaration\u2019s signatories\u2014as well as its author\u2014Thomas Jefferson enjoyed several benefits later in life from his role in the document\u2019s drafting.<\/p><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>During the war, Jefferson nearly faced capture by the British during his tenure as governor of Virginia, forcing him to flee from his Monticello estate. That led to accusations of \u201ccowardice\u201d that eventually prompted Virginia legislators to launch a formal inquiry, in which Jefferson was acquitted.<\/p>\n<p>Later, Jefferson served in a series of key posts, first as the U.S. ambassador to France, then as secretary of state under President George Washington and vice president under President John Adams.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">After he was elected president\u2014an event dubbed the \u201cRevolution of 1800\u201d\u2014Jefferson\u2019s egalitarian vision expressed in the Declaration of Independence came to be viewed as one of the most critical documents of the American founding.<\/p>\n<h2>\u2018The First American\u2019: Ben Franklin<\/h2>\n<p>While Jefferson often gets the lion\u2019s share of the credit for drafting the Declaration, Ben Franklin is credited with one critical edit to the document.<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\" mt-0 mb-6 mx-auto text-center eet-ad clear-both print:!hidden\">\n<div class=\"relative flex justify-center text-center mx-auto mt-3\">\n<div id=\"in_article_ads_0\" class=\"bg-[#EDEDED] flex items-center justify-center\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"h-[0px] border-t border-gray-200 mt-3 mb-6 \"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Widely recognized as a multi-disciplinary polymath, Franklin has been dubbed \u201cthe First American\u201d by history for his early and long-running calls for American colonial unity.<\/p>\n<p>In the preamble to the Declaration, Jefferson had originally written, \u201cWe hold these truths to be sacred and undeniable.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Franklin\u2014who served on the drafting committee\u2014replaced this with the revision: \u201cWe hold these truths to be self-evident.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Franklin later served as ambassador to France and lead negotiator on the deal to end the war with Great Britain, was the \u201cpresident\u201d\u2014or governor\u2014of Pennsylvania from 1785 to 1788, and served as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention of 1787.<\/p>\n<div class=\" mt-0 mb-6 mx-auto text-center eet-ad clear-both print:!hidden\">\n<div class=\"relative flex justify-center text-center mx-auto mt-3\">\n<div id=\"in_article_ads_1\" class=\"bg-[#EDEDED] flex items-center justify-center\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"h-[0px] border-t border-gray-200 mt-3 mb-6 \"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"my-5\">Shortly before his death in 1790, Franklin made his last political statement with his support of a petition calling on the federal government to abolish slavery.<\/p>\n<h2>\u2018The Atlas of American Independence\u2019: John Adams<\/h2>\n<p>John Adams, the future second president, was one of the first delegates to the Continental Congress to call for independence. He was also among the most outspoken in its defense, leading him to be dubbed by some as \u201cthe Atlas of American Independence.\u201d<\/p><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>In February 1778, Adams was nearly captured by British warships while leaving on a diplomatic mission for Paris with his son. Adams took up a musket to fight the British vessels, but it took a mix of skillful navigation and a fortuitous storm to shake the pursuers. Had he been captured, Adams likely would have faced imprisonment in the Tower of London and execution for treason.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">In one of the most remarkable coincidences in history, Adams and Jefferson both died on July 4, 1826\u201450 years after the Declaration\u2019s adoption day. Adams\u2019s final words, \u201cJefferson still lives,\u201d were in fact mistaken: the third president had passed away at Monticello hours earlier.<\/p>\n<h2>\u2018The First Founding Father\u2019: Richard Henry Lee<\/h2>\n<p>Less well-known than either Jefferson or Adams, the Virginia delegate Richard Henry Lee was no less instrumental in bringing about independence, authoring the part of the Declaration stating the 13 colonies \u201care, and of Right ought to be, free and independent States.\u201d<\/p><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>On July 2, 1776, the Second Continental Congress adopted this \u201cLee Resolution.\u201d Adams famously predicted incorrectly that July 2, rather than July 4, would be celebrated as the American Independence Day, and would be commemorated with, \u201cpomp and parade &#8230; from one end of this continent to the other.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>During the war, Lee faced military attacks on his property, chronic stress that took a toll on his health, and a severe hit to his finances as the war hit international shipping and the tobacco trade he relied on.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">He later served as the first Virginia senator alongside William Grayson, joining the anti-Federalists in opposing a national government. Lee died in June 1794 at age 62.<\/p>\n<h2>The Midnight Rider: Caesar Rodney<\/h2>\n<p>A lesser-known but critical signatory of the Declaration was Caesar Rodney, who rode 80 miles to Philadelphia while suffering from facial cancer to cast a tie-breaking vote for Delaware\u2019s delegation in favor of independence.<\/p><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>Unanimous support from all colonies was required to authorize the Lee Resolution\u2014meaning Rodney\u2019s vote was critical to final adoption.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">Rodney later served as \u201cpresident,\u201d or governor, of Delaware until 1781, and died in 1784 of facial cancer at age 55.<\/p>\n<h2>The First Signer: John Hancock<\/h2>\n<p>John Hancock\u2019s signature on the Declaration\u2014the first\u2014was so large that his name became an American idiom for one\u2019s signature.<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\" mt-0 mb-6 mx-auto text-center eet-ad clear-both print:!hidden\">\n<div class=\"relative flex justify-center text-center mx-auto mt-3\">\n<div id=\"in_article_ads_3\" class=\"bg-[#EDEDED] flex items-center justify-center\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"h-[0px] border-t border-gray-200 mt-3 mb-6 \"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The Massachusetts revolutionary leader had been serving as president of the Second Continental Congress since May 24, 1775.<\/p>\n<p>Hancock, aside from being the first signer, is the only person who actually signed the document on July 4, 1776.<\/p>\n<p>Hancock was at the head of a massive commercial empire, deriving his wealth partially from inheritance and partially from smuggling. Had American independence failed, Hancock\u2014as well as his family\u2014would have lost everything.<\/p>\n<p>Despite close calls, he made it through the Revolution without facing capture. However, several of his properties were destroyed or occupied by the British during the conflict, while Hancock expended nearly half of his personal wealth financing the cause of independence.<\/p>\n<div class=\" mt-0 mb-6 mx-auto text-center eet-ad clear-both print:!hidden\">\n<div class=\"relative flex justify-center text-center mx-auto mt-3\">\n<div id=\"in_article_ads_4\" class=\"bg-[#EDEDED] flex items-center justify-center\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"h-[0px] border-t border-gray-200 mt-3 mb-6 \"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"my-5\">He later served as the first governor of independent Massachusetts, and died in 1793 at 56.<\/p>\n<h2>The Last Signer: Thomas McKean<\/h2>\n<p>Like several other delegates to the Second Continental Congress, Thomas McKean of Delaware left to join the Revolution as soon as he cast his ballot in favor of independence.<\/p><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>This meant that he was ultimately unable to sign the documents until months\u2014or, by some estimates, years\u2014later. While historians are confident that McKean is the final signatory, the exact date is disputed, with estimates ranging from early 1777 all the way to 1781.<\/p>\n<p>McKean took part in key battles during the conflict, assisting in the defense of New York City and Delaware. By 1781, McKean was serving as president of the Continental Congress, making him the civilian authority directing the Battle of Yorktown, which ended the war.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">After the Revolution, McKean served as chief justice and governor of Pennsylvania. During the War of 1812, he led a civilian defense group against the British, taking up arms one final time before his death in 1817 at the age of 83.<\/p>\n<h2>The One Who Renounced His Signature: Richard Stockton<\/h2>\n<p>While none of the 56 signers ever willingly renounced their support for the Declaration, historians think that signer Richard Stockton of New Jersey renounced his signature under coercion and following a long period of captivity by the British.<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\" mt-0 mb-6 mx-auto text-center eet-ad clear-both print:!hidden\">\n<div class=\"relative flex justify-center text-center mx-auto mt-3\">\n<div id=\"in_article_ads_5\" class=\"bg-[#EDEDED] flex items-center justify-center\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"h-[0px] border-t border-gray-200 mt-3 mb-6 \"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Imprisoned by the British, Stockton signed a parole agreement in which he reneged on his signature and pledged not to take part in the war. Under the agreement, Stockton resigned his seat in the Continental Congress.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">Later, Stockton reaffirmed his loyalty to the United States before his death at age 50 in 1781.<\/p>\n<h2>The Fighters<\/h2>\n<p>Like McKean, several signers went on to take part in the conflict.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>These included Rodney, Oliver Wolcott of Connecticut, Thomas Nelson Jr. of Virginia, and William Floyd of New York.<\/p>\n<p>Others who left Philadelphia to join the conflict were taken as prisoners of war during the Revolution.<\/p>\n<div class=\" mt-0 mb-6 mx-auto text-center eet-ad clear-both print:!hidden\">\n<div class=\"relative flex justify-center text-center mx-auto mt-3\">\n<div id=\"in_article_ads_6\" class=\"bg-[#EDEDED] flex items-center justify-center\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"h-[0px] border-t border-gray-200 mt-3 mb-6 \"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>One of these was George Walton, who was wounded and captured during the Battle of Savannah. Despite spending months in British custody, Walton survived and was eventually freed, going on to serve as a governor, chief justice, and U.S. senator for Georgia.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">Three others\u2014Thomas Heyward Jr., Arthur Middleton, and Edward Rutledge\u2014were taken prisoner during the Battle of Charleston. All three survived months of captivity at St. Augustine, Florida, with Heyward becoming the last of the three to die at age 62 in 1809.<\/p>\n<h2>Homes Looted, Occupied, or Destroyed<\/h2>\n<p>Many other signers faced consequences related to their properties and estates. Some of the most prominent of these included Lee and Hancock.<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"my-5\">.<\/div>\n<p>In New York, meanwhile, signer Francis Lewis had his property destroyed by the British, who captured his wife during the attack. Held in captivity for months without a change of clothes or adequate food, Elizabeth Annesley Lewis was ultimately freed under a prisoner exchange negotiated by Washington, but died shortly thereafter from the stress of the ordeal.<\/p>\n<p>Also in New York, signers William Floyd, Philip Livingston, and Lewis Morris had their vast estates occupied by the British during the war, with the properties being used as barracks or stables.<\/p>\n<div class=\" mt-0 mb-6 mx-auto text-center eet-ad clear-both print:!hidden\">\n<div class=\"relative flex justify-center text-center mx-auto mt-3\">\n<div id=\"in_article_ads_7\" class=\"bg-[#EDEDED] flex items-center justify-center\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"h-[0px] border-t border-gray-200 mt-3 mb-6 \"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"my-5\">Signer John Hart of New Jersey was also forced to flee from his home\u2014and his wife\u2019s deathbed\u2014when Hessian troops attacked his farm and mills.<\/p>\n<h2>The Longest-Lived Signer: Charles Carroll<\/h2>\n<p>In 1832, Charles Carroll of Maryland knew that he was dying.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>The only Catholic signer of the Declaration, Carroll had by then been the sole remaining signatory of the document for around six years.<\/p>\n<p>He gained the accolade on July 4, 1826, following the deaths of Adams and Jefferson, who were among the final three living signers. Franklin had passed more than 40 years earlier.<\/p>\n<p>By 1832, Carroll was well-used to the questions he received from young people and reporters, who were set on preserving as much of the early Republic as possible during the twilight years of the 1820s.<\/p>\n<div class=\" mt-0 mb-6 mx-auto text-center eet-ad clear-both print:!hidden\">\n<div class=\"relative flex justify-center text-center mx-auto mt-3\">\n<div id=\"in_article_ads_8\" class=\"bg-[#EDEDED] flex items-center justify-center\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"h-[0px] border-t border-gray-200 mt-3 mb-6 \"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Before his death, Carroll played a key role in welcoming the new era of American life, laying the first stone of the B&amp;O railroad, one of the first steps toward the transcontinental railroad that would take decades yet to be completed.<\/p>\n<p>Carroll\u2019s passing was commemorated in the papers and on the streets of the blossoming American republic, whose citizens recognized that with Carroll\u2019s passing, the first generation of the United States was truly over.<\/p>\n<p>Commenting on his status near the end of his life, Carroll wrote, \u201cGrateful to Almighty God for the blessings. &#8230; I do hereby recommend to the present and future generations the principles of that important document &#8230; and pray that the civil and religious liberties they have secured to my country may be perpetuated.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"uacta-target\" data-template-id=\"da431b05-1e9a-479b-bbdc-be84b1d85ebb\">\n<div class=\"uacta-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"uacta-text-wrapper text-left\">\n<p class=\"uacta-headline\">\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What Happened to the 56 Signatories of the Declaration of Independence Before the war was over, five would be captured, 12 would lose their homes, and 17 would lose their fortunes. None renounced the cause of their won free will. Today the United States celebrates the 250th\u2014or semiquincentennial\u2014anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[63],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1271","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-declaration-of-independence-signers"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sterlingcooper.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1271","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sterlingcooper.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sterlingcooper.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sterlingcooper.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sterlingcooper.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1271"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.sterlingcooper.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1271\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1272,"href":"https:\/\/www.sterlingcooper.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1271\/revisions\/1272"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sterlingcooper.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1271"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sterlingcooper.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1271"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sterlingcooper.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1271"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}