A lawyer from Massachusetts firmly aligned with the patriotic cause, John Adams served as a delegate to the First and Second Continental Congresses. He was one of five individuals on the committee that drafted the Declaration and strongly supported its passage. Known for his work ethic, persuasive oratory, and gifted leadership, he would go on to become the first vice president and, in 1796, the second president of the United States.

Samuel Adams, also from Massachusetts and a cousin of John, was educated at Harvard and proved far more successful as a politician than as a merchant. A strong supporter of independence who opposed reconciliation with Britain, he helped organize the Sons of Liberty, a semi-secret political organization that sought to resist British control. He played an important role in promoting patriotic activities throughout the Revolution and later served as governor of Massachusetts.

A well-respected physician, politician, and Patriot, Josiah Bartlett was among the earliest supporters in favor of adopting the Declaration. He is traditionally considered the second signer, after John Hancock. He continued to serve in the Continental Congress during the development of the Articles of Confederation and later held important leadership roles in New Hampshire as chief justice and governor.

Wealthy plantation owner Carter Braxton was a member of Virginia’s landowning elite. More conservative than many other signers, he was cautious about independence and skeptical of democratic governance. Nevertheless, he supported the Declaration. Soon after, he was not reappointed to the Continental Congress, and the Revolution brought him significant financial hardships due to his heavy investments in shipping.

The only Catholic to sign his name to the Declaration, wealthy Maryland landowner and merchant Charles Carroll was barred from holding public office due to his religion until the restrictions were lifted in 1773. By 1776, his Catholicism and ability to speak French were viewed as assets, and he was sent on a diplomatic mission to Canada in search of allies. He was later elected Maryland’s first United States senator.

When the Stamp Act of 1765 was enacted, Maryland lawyer Samuel Chase became a leading opponent, organizing resistance and refusing to use stamped papers for his legal documents. His small signature appears on the Declaration just under John Hancock’s. In 1796, George Washington appointed him to the Supreme Court, where he was later impeached by the House (and acquitted by the Senate) over perceived partisan politics.

Surveyor and lawyer Abraham Clark of New Jersey was known for his pro bono legal work and opposition to elitism. He supported the Patriot cause and helped draft New Jersey’s first state constitution. Clark enthusiastically signed the Declaration of Independence and served in the Continental Congress until the end of the Revolutionary War.

George Clymer was a prominent merchant in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, who experienced firsthand the restrictive effects of British economic policies. Although he was not a delegate when the vote for independence took place, he was appointed to the Continental Congress after a Pennsylvania delegate resigned. Clymer signed the Declaration, and he continued to support the patriotic cause by serving on the boards of war and of the treasury.

Newport, Rhode Island, lawyer and merchant William Ellery was an ardent supporter of independence. At the signing of the Declaration, he sat near the secretary’s table to observe the delegates’ expressions as they penned their names, noting “undaunted resolution” on their faces as they signed what might prove their death warrant. Toward the end of his service in the Continental Congress, he supported efforts to limit slavery in the new nation.

William Floyd of New York quickly recognized the threat posed by the British policies in the colonies. A respected delegate to both the First and Second Continental Congresses, he served on various committees and as a colonel in the Suffolk County Militia. He paid the price for his support of independence—though his family safely fled, the British confiscated his home in 1776 and converted it into barracks.

The oldest signer of the Declaration at 70, Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania was already an accomplished printer, publisher, diplomat, inventor, and scientist. He helped shape American civic life, contributing to the first volunteer fire department, public lending library, and public hospital. He also played a pivotal role in securing French support during the Revolution. One of only six men to sign both the Declaration and the Constitution, he remains a central figure in American history.

Successful Massachusetts merchant Elbridge Gerry used his commercial networks and business connections to help provide supplies and ammunition to the Continental Army as early as 1775. He signed the Declaration of Independence and later served as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention of 1787, though he refused to sign the final draft of the Constitution. He went on to serve as the governor of Massachusetts.

After signing the Declaration of Independence, Button Gwinnett returned to Georgia, where he played a key role in drafting the state’s constitution. In 1777, he briefly served as governor of Georgia. Soon after, he sustained fatal injuries in a duel with a political rival and died less than a year after signing the Declaration. Gwinnett County, Georgia, was later named in his honor.

Originally serving as a minister in Connecticut, Lyman Hall later left the ministry to study medicine and moved with a group of fellow Congregationalists to Georgia. There, he was selected as a delegate to the Continental Congress, where he signed the Declaration of Independence. He was later elected as governor of Georgia and helped establish the charter of Franklin College (now the University of Georgia).

As President of the Continental Congress, John Hancock of Massachusetts is famously known as the first to sign his name—large and bold—to the Declaration of Independence. One of the wealthiest men in the colonies, he shared a strong commitment to independence with Samuel Adams, with whom he worked closely. He later served as the first governor of Massachusetts, where he continued to have symbolic importance as a political leader.

Benjamin Harrison of Virginia, wealthy from an early inheritance, was one of the earliest Virginians to oppose British rule, pledging his support for the patriotic cause by the early 1760s while serving in the House of Burgesses. In the Second Continental Congress, he presided over the proceedings during the adoption of the Declaration of Independence, which he later signed. His son, William, and his great-grandson, Benjamin, would both later become Presidents of the United States.

Successful landowner John Hart of New Jersey risked and lost much by signing the Declaration of Independence. A known opponent of British rule, he saw his farm and mills destroyed by British and Hessian forces during their 1776 invasion. His fortunes were never fully restored. A monument honoring his sacrifice was erected in 1865 in Hopewell, New Jersey, marking the graves of John and his wife, Deborah.

Raised as a Quaker, Joseph Hewes of North Carolina became a prosperous merchant. He was involved in the drafting of the Olive Branch Petition, a final attempt to present the colonies’ grievances to Great Britain and avoid war. When it was rejected by King George III, Hewes came to fully support the cause of independence, later serving as chairman of the Marine Committee and playing a key role in organizing the Continental Navy.

Thomas Heyward Jr. was the son of an elite South Carolina plantation owner and one of the largest slaveholders in British North America. Despite his father’s loyalty to the Crown and his own education at university in London, he voted for independence and signed the Declaration in 1776. When Charleston was captured in 1780, he was taken as a prisoner of war, and much of his wealth and property was confiscated.

Although he was born in Boston to a family with Loyalist leanings and a strong commitment to British law and order, William Hooper of North Carolina increasingly supported the Patriot cause as tensions with Britain escalated. After the Boston Tea Party and witnessing the effects of British taxation policies, he fully embraced colonial rights. By then a successful lawyer, he became a delegate to the Continental Congress in 1774.

The second-oldest signer after Benjamin Franklin, Stephen Hopkins had already served as governor of Rhode Island for well over a decade when he was appointed as one of the colony’s two delegates to the Continental Congress. He suffered from palsy, which resulted in his signature on the Declaration of Independence appearing shaky and unsteady. He later helped draft the Articles of Confederation and died soon after in 1785.

Although a well-educated New Jersey lawyer, Francis Hopkinson was also a successful musician, publishing one of the first books of music by an American composer. He was a writer and satirist, producing several well-received works during the Revolution. After signing the Declaration of Independence, he went on to design flag and seal emblems, including the seal of New Jersey and designs for an American flag presented to George Washington.

A self-taught lawyer from Connecticut, Samuel Huntington quickly advanced in political life. In 1775, he was elected as a delegate to the Second Continental Congress, where he became a leading supporter of the Patriot cause. He later served as president of the Continental Congress and played an important role in overseeing the ratification of the Articles of Confederation. He also supported the new Constitution, ratified in 1788.

Although the Committee of Five was tasked with composing the document, Thomas Jefferson of Virginia, age 33, served as the principal author of the Declaration of Independence. He later served as governor of Virginia in 1779 and as minister to France until 1789. He went on to become secretary of state under George Washington, vice president under John Adams, and ultimately president of the United States in 1801.

Born into a prominent Virginia family, Francis Lightfoot Lee strongly opposed British rule and supported the Patriot cause. He and his brother, Richard Henry, were both active on committees during their service in the Continental Congress. After the Revolution, he served in the Virginia senate and spent the remainder of his life on his country estate.

Richard Henry Lee of Virginia was equally as committed to the Patriot cause as his brother Francis Lightfoot but was the more effective orator. During his time in the Continental Congress, he introduced what became known as the “Lee Resolution,” the formal motion proposing independence from Britain and paving the way for the Declaration of Independence. He later served as president of Congress under the Articles of Confederation and one of Virginia’s first U.S. senators.

Born and raised in Britain, Francis Lewis did not immigrate to New York until his mid-20s, where he became a committed Patriot. His wealth allowed him to support the Sons of Liberty and devote himself to public service. Soon after signing the Declaration of Independence, he felt the consequences of his support for the Patriot cause when British forces destroyed his home and took his wife prisoner, leading to her death.

A successful New York merchant, Philip Livingston became a vocal critic of British taxation without representation. He avoided more radical methods of opposition, such as those employed by the Sons of Liberty, but participated in other forms of protest, including attending the Stamp Act Congress in 1765. Although initially skeptical of independence in preference to reconciliation with Britain, he eventually supported the cause and signed the Declaration.

The only son of a prosperous South Carolina farmer, Thomas Lynch Jr. was introduced to public affairs early by his politically active father. A lawyer, he became a captain in a South Carolina militia in 1775, where he contracted malaria and never fully recovered. He filled his father’s seat in the Continental Congress and signed the Declaration at age 26. In 1779, he sailed abroad seeking treatment for his illness and was lost at sea.

Thomas McKean of Delaware is generally considered the last signer of the Declaration of Independence, likely signing several months after most delegates. This was not due to a lack of patriotism but because he had left Congress to serve as a colonel in the Pennsylvania militia. He later helped write Delaware’s constitution, supported ratification of the U.S. Constitution, and served as governor of Pennsylvania.

After his father’s resignation from the Continental Congress, South Carolina plantation owner Arthur Middleton filled his father’s seat. After signing the Declaration of Independence, he joined the South Carolina militia. His estate was destroyed by British forces in 1779, and he was captured and held as a prisoner. He was eventually released and later served in the state legislature.

Lewis Morris of New York was a wealthy owner of the Morrisania estate who grew increasingly frustrated with British policies in the colonies. Elected to the Second Continental Congress, he signed the Declaration of Independence and worked to secure support from Indigenous groups for the Patriot cause. After the Revolution, he returned to his estate to rebuild after damage inflicted by British forces.

Likely the richest man in the colonies at the time, Robert Morris of Pennsylvania is often credited with financing the Revolution. More conservative in his views, he initially favored reconciliation with Britain and abstained from the vote on independence in 1776, but he did later sign the Declaration of Independence. He worked tirelessly to supply and fund Washington’s army, later declining the position of secretary of the Treasury and serving instead in the Senate.

Although he died just months after signing the Declaration and was the first signer to pass away, John Morton played a crucial role in independence. His vote broke Pennsylvania’s deadlock after two delegates voted yes, two voted no, and two abstained, securing the delegation’s support for independence. He later chaired the committee tasked with drafting the Articles of Confederation, but he did not live to see them ratified.

Thomas Nelson Jr. of Virginia was an ardent supporter of colonial rights and liberties. Soon after signing the Declaration of Independence, he was appointed a colonel in the Virginia militia and used his personal funds to help finance the war effort. He later succeeded Thomas Jefferson as governor of Virginia but resigned shortly after due to illness.

With the implementation of the Stamp Act in 1765, lawyer William Paca of Maryland began to grow increasingly opposed to British taxation policies in the colonies. He became involved with the Sons of Liberty, in time gladly signing his name to the Declaration of Independence. During the war, he served in the militia and offered financial aid to the military, later serving as governor of Maryland before being appointed a federal district judge by President George Washington.

The least well-known of the four delegates from Massachusetts, attorney Robert Treat Paine gained prominence for prosecuting the British soldiers in the Boston Massacre trial (where John Adams served as defense counsel). Although he supported the Olive Branch Petition in hopes of reconciliation, he later backed independence and signed the Declaration. He went on to serve as speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives and helped draft the state’s constitution.

Although John Penn of North Carolina had little formal education, he became a successful lawyer and community leader, rising into the social elite. He was elected as a delegate to both the First and Second Continental Congress, where he signed the Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation and remained a strong supporter of the revolutionary cause.