U.S. Declaration of Independence

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The Declaration of Independence is document signed by members of the second continental congress in 1776 who were meeting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This document formally "dissolved the connection" [1] between the colonies and Great Britain.

Its primary authorship is credited to Thomas Jefferson. Early versions of the manuscript exist as early as June 1776.[2]

Declaration of independence print02.jpg

Signers

There are 56 signatures on the declaration of independence[3]

Georgia

  Button Gwinnett
  Lyman Hall
  George Walton

North Carolina

  William Hooper
  Joseph Hewes
  John Penn

South Carolina

  Edward Rutledge
  Thomas Heyward, Jr.
  Thomas Lynch, Jr.
  Arthur Middleton

Massachusetts

  John Hancock

Maryland

  Samuel Chase
  William Paca
  Thomas Stone
  Charles Carroll of Carrollton

Virginia

  George Wythe
  Richard Henry Lee
  Thomas Jefferson
  Benjamin Harrison
  Thomas Nelson, Jr.
  Francis Lightfoot Lee
  Carter Braxton

Pennsylvania

  Robert Morris
  Benjamin Rush
  Benjamin Franklin
  John Morton
  George Clymer
  James Smith
  George Taylor
  James Wilson
  George Ross

Delaware

  Caesar Rodney
  George Read
  Thomas McKean

New York

  William Floyd
  Philip Livingston
  Francis Lewis
  Lewis Morris

New Jersey

  Richard Stockton
  John Witherspoon
  Francis Hopkinson
  John Hart
  Abraham Clark

New Hampshire

  Josiah Bartlett
  William Whipple

Massachusetts

  Samuel Adams
  John Adams
  Robert Treat Paine
  Elbridge Gerry

Rhode Island

  Stephen Hopkins
  William Ellery

Connecticut

  Roger Sherman
  Samuel Huntington
  William Williams
  Oliver Wolcott

New Hampshire

  Matthew Thornton

References

  1. George Washington Papers at the Library of Congress, 1741-1799: Series 3g Varick Transcripts http://memory.loc.gov/mss/mgw/mgw3g/001/309.jpg
  2. Transcription of the Fragment of the Composition Draft of the Declaration of Independence, http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/declara/frag.html
  3. The National Archive Experience http://www.archives.gov/national-archives-experience/charters/declaration_transcript.html