We all know of George Washington, Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson but since its Father’s Day today, we’re going to remember some of the lesser known names of the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence.
The facts regarding the Founding Fathers can be a bit murky on certain topics.
Did they become felons to the British? Signing the Declaration of Independence was an act of treason to Britain so, yes.
Did some get captured and tortured? A handful perhaps, but being in any jail at the time would’ve been considered harmful to your health under the conditions.
Did some lose their homes and property to the British Army? Many of them did because they had nice estates that the British used when they occupied areas during the Revolutionary War, or as the British call it, the War for American Independence.
During the war
None of the signers died at the hands of the British, and one-third served as militia officers during the war. Two lost their sons in the war, and two others had sons captured. At least a dozen of the 56 had their homes pillaged and burned.
Who were they?
Twenty-five were lawyers or jurists. Eleven were merchants. Nine were farmers or large plantation owners. One was a teacher, one a musician and one a printer. They were men of means and education, and they signed the Declaration of Independence, knowing that the penalty could be death if they were captured.
After putting his quill pen down Franklin said, “We must indeed, all hang together, or most assuredly we shall hang separately.”
The National Archives has a comprehensive list of all the signers here.
Biographies of the signers of the Declaration of Independence can be found here.
Here’s a few notable forgotten founders:
George Clymer was Pennsylvanian politician, early slavery abolitionist and one of only six founders who signed both the Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution.
Clymer was among the earliest patriots to advocate for complete independence from Britain. He attended the Continental Congress and served in political office until the end of his life.
He was a framer of the Constitution, attempting unsuccessfully to regulate the importation of slaves. Clymer was himself a minor slave owner, at least briefly when 7 years old through inheritance.
He was the first president of The Philadelphia Bank and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and vice-president of the Philadelphia Agricultural Society.
William Floyd was wealthy farmer and political leader from New York.
Floyd was a signer of the Continental Association and Declaration of Independence. He was the only man from New York’s Suffolk County to sign the Declaration of Independence August 1776.
A few weeks after the Declaration was signed, British forces defeated an American army at the battle of Long Island and confiscated Floyd’s house and 4,400-acre estate, using the property as a base for their cavalry units over the next seven years.
Floyd remained active in politics throughout the Revolutionary Era. He served as a major general in the New York State militia and was elected to the first U.S. Congress in 1789.
Benjamin Rush was a civic leader in Philadelphia, where he was a physician, politician, social reformer, humanitarian, educator and the founder of Dickinson College.
He later described his efforts in support of the American Revolution, saying: “He aimed well.”
He served as surgeon general of the Middle Department of the Continental Army and became a professor of chemistry, medical theory and clinical practice at the University of Pennsylvania.
John Adams, yes that John Adams. He is not on any U.S. currency except for the ceremonial coin, seen above, issued in 2007.
Born in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1735, John Adams was one of the earliest and most vocal advocates for colonial independence. The Harvard-educated lawyer served as a delegate to both the First and Second Continental Congresses.
A skilled diplomat, Adams lived in France and Holland during the Revolution trying to secure international support and recognition of American independence. He served eight years as George Washington’s vice president before winning the Presidency in 1797.
Elected by a margin of just three electoral votes (71-68), John Adams was the first president to live in the White House, arriving in Washington on Nov. 1, 1800. Adams lived to age 90 and died on the same day as Thomas Jefferson, July 4, 1826.
Adams’ wife, Abigail, was his closest confidant. She fought for women’s rights and education. They were both were against slavery. Their son, John Quincy Adams, was the sixth president.
Attempt to recognize
An Adams Memorial is proposed for the National Mall to honor the legacy of the Founding Father and second President.
The U.S. Congress has created an Adams Memorial Commission to oversee the planning and construction of the memorial.
On Nov. 5, 2001, the United States Congress enacted a bill for the establishment of a “commemorative work…to honor former President John Adams and his legacy. To date, nothing has been constructed.
Robert Morris signed the Declaration of Independence, The Articles of Confederation and the U.S. Constitution.
Born in Liverpool, Morris was brought to North America by his father when he was 13 years old, quickly becoming a partner in a successful shipping firm based in Philadelphia.
In the aftermath of the French and Indian War, Morris joined with other merchants in opposing British tax policies such as the 1765 Stamp Act.
By 1775 he was the richest man in America.
After the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, he helped procure arms and ammunition for the revolutionary cause, and in late 1775 he was chosen as a delegate to the Second Continental Congress.
Roger Sherman was an early American politician and lawyer representing Connecticut.
He is the only person to sign all four great state papers of the United States: the Continental Association, the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution.
He also signed the 1774 Petition to the King.
Born in Newton, Massachusetts, Sherman established a legal career in Litchfield County, Connecticut, despite a lack of formal education.
After a period in the Connecticut House of Representatives, he served as a justice of the Superior Court of Connecticut from 1766 to 1789. Connecticut sent him to the Continental Congress, and he was a member of the Committee of Five that drafted the Declaration of Independence.
Others:
Richard Henry Lee – Proposed the colonies ‘are, and of right ought to be, free and independent State.’ This led directly to independence.Benjamin Harrison – Was a governor of Virginia. His son and great grandson were both presidents.Oliver Wolcott – Major general in the Connecticut Militia, governor of Connecticut.William Whipple – General at Saratoga. Planted a Liberty Tree (chestnut) which still stands.
Three who did not sign
Robert R. Livingston, of New York, (a member of the Committee of Five) urged postponement possibly because New York had not authorized its delegates to vote for independence. He left Philadelphia to participate in the formation New York state government. Subsequently, he was elected chancellor of New York and it was in that office in 1789 that he administered the presidential oath of office to George Washington.
John Dickinson, of Pennsylvania, opposed the Declaration of Independence believing the colonies were not yet ready to fight a successful war. However, as a colonel of the First Philadelphia Battalion he led troops north to fight the British in northern New Jersey.
Thomas Willing, of Pennsylvania, voiced similar reasons. He was no loyalist, however, and refused to take the oath of allegiance to King George III when the British took Philadelphia months later.
Sources: U.S. Mint, Smithsonian, American Battlefield Trust, National Archives, Colonialwilliamsburg.org., Founderoftheday.com Images from the National Archives and Wikimedia commons