The Declaration of Independence

24 June 2026

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In Congress, July 4, 1776

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America, When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.

He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.

He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.

He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.

He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:

For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:

For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:

For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:

For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:

For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:

For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:

For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:

For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:

For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.

He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our Brittish brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

The text is a transcription of the Stone Engraving of the parchment Declaration of Independence (the document on display in the Rotunda at the National Archives Museum). The spelling and punctuation reflect the original.

Signatories of the Declaration of Independence

Complete List of All 56 Delegates, Histicle:

New Hampshire — 3 Delegates

#	Name	Occupation / Role	Birthplace	Born	Died	Notes
1	Josiah Bartlett	Physician, judge	Amesbury, MA	1729	1795	First to vote for independence; later becomes first governor of New Hampshire.
2	William Whipple	Merchant, general	Kittery, ME	1730	1785	Serves as brigadier general during the Revolutionary War after signing.
3	Matthew Thornton	Physician	Ireland	1714	1803	Late Signer Signs in November 1776, not August 2; added to the document after other delegates had already signed. Born in Ireland — one of several foreign-born signatories.

Massachusetts — 5 Delegates

#	Name	Occupation / Role	Birthplace	Born	Died	Notes
4	John Hancock	Merchant, statesman	Braintree, MA	1737	1793	Notable Role President of the Continental Congress; signs first and largest — his signature becomes synonymous with the document itself. Later first governor of Massachusetts.
5	Samuel Adams	Political organizer, writer	Boston, MA	1722	1803	Key organizer of colonial resistance; a founding figure of the Sons of Liberty. Later governor of Massachusetts.
6	John Adams	Lawyer, statesman	Braintree, MA	1735	1826	Future President Second President of the United States (1797–1801). Dies on July 4, 1826 — the same day as Thomas Jefferson, exactly 50 years after the Declaration’s adoption.
7	Robert Treat Paine	Lawyer, judge	Boston, MA	1731	1814	Serves as first Attorney General of Massachusetts after the war.
8	Elbridge Gerry	Merchant, statesman	Marblehead, MA	1744	1814	Notable Role Later serves as Vice President under James Madison (1813–1814); name gives rise to the term “gerrymandering” due to his redistricting practices as governor.

Rhode Island — 2 Delegates

#	Name	Occupation / Role	Birthplace	Born	Died	Notes
9	Stephen Hopkins	Merchant, governor	Providence, RI	1707	1785	Oldest Rhode Island signer at 69; suffered from palsy and reportedly quipped that his hand trembled but his heart did not.
10	William Ellery	Lawyer, judge	Newport, RI	1727	1820	Newport home destroyed by British forces. Lives to age 92, one of the longest-lived signatories.

Connecticut — 4 Delegates

#	Name	Occupation / Role	Birthplace	Born	Died	Notes
11	Roger Sherman	Lawyer, cobbler, statesman	Newton, MA	1721	1793	Only Founder to sign all four major founding documents: the Articles of Association, Declaration, Articles of Confederation, and Constitution. Began adult life as a cobbler.
12	Samuel Huntington	Lawyer, statesman	Windham, CT	1731	1796	Largely self-taught lawyer; serves as President of the Continental Congress (1779–1781) and later as governor of Connecticut.
13	William Williams	Merchant, judge	Lebanon, CT	1731	1811	Funds much of Connecticut’s war effort out of personal wealth; loses a substantial fortune to the Revolution.
14	Oliver Wolcott	Lawyer, general	Windsor, CT	1726	1797	Commands Connecticut militia during the war; later serves as governor. His son Oliver Wolcott Jr. becomes Secretary of the Treasury.

New York — 4 Delegates

#	Name	Occupation / Role	Birthplace	Born	Died	Notes
15	William Floyd	Planter, general	Brookhaven, NY	1734	1821	British forces occupy his Long Island estate for seven years; family flees as refugees. Lives to age 86.
16	Philip Livingston	Merchant, philanthropist	Albany, NY	1716	1778	Dies during the war in 1778; does not live to see the victory he helps set in motion. His estate is seized by the British.
17	Francis Lewis	Merchant	Wales	1713	1802	Home destroyed by British forces; wife taken prisoner and held for months, her health permanently damaged. Lewis-born in Wales.
18	Lewis Morris	Planter, judge	Morrisania, NY	1726	1798	Large Westchester estate occupied and raided by British and Hessian troops; family scatters. Serves in Continental Army after signing.

New Jersey — 5 Delegates

#	Name	Occupation / Role	Birthplace	Born	Died	Notes
19	Richard Stockton	Lawyer, judge	Princeton, NJ	1730	1781	Captured by the British in 1776, imprisoned, and his estate looted. Some accounts say he signed a British loyalty oath to secure his release; others dispute this. The historical record on this point is unclear, and we will update this entry if a reputable primary source provides definitive clarification. His health never recovered — he dies in 1781.
20	John Witherspoon	Presbyterian minister, educator	Scotland	1723	1794	Only active clergyman to sign; president of what becomes Princeton University. Born in Scotland — one of several British-born signatories.
21	Francis Hopkinson	Lawyer, artist, writer	Philadelphia, PA	1737	1791	Claims credit for designing the first American flag (contested); also a noted composer and satirist. Serves as federal judge after the war.
22	John Hart	Farmer, statesman	Stonington, CT	c. 1713	1779	Hunted by British troops after signing; flees into the hills, farm destroyed, wife dies during the upheaval. Returns home broken in health; dies in 1779.
23	Abraham Clark	Surveyor, lawyer	Elizabethtown, NJ	1726	1794	Two sons captured and imprisoned on the British prison ship Jersey; British reportedly offer to release them if Clark recants his support for independence. He refuses.

Pennsylvania — 9 Delegates

#	Name	Occupation / Role	Birthplace	Born	Died	Notes
24	Robert Morris	Merchant, financier	England	1734	1806	Personally finances much of the Continental Army’s operations; becomes Superintendent of Finance during the war. Dies penniless after disastrous land speculation.
25	Benjamin Rush	Physician, professor	Byberry Township, PA	1745	1813	Founding figure of American medicine; serves as Surgeon General of the Continental Army. Instrumental in reconciling John Adams and Thomas Jefferson in their later years.
26	Benjamin Franklin	Printer, scientist, diplomat	Boston, MA	1706	1790	Notable Role Oldest signer at 70. Secures the French alliance that proves decisive in the war. One of the most celebrated Founders; his face appears on the $100 bill.
27	John Morton	Farmer, judge	Ridley Township, PA	1725	1777	Casts the deciding vote that puts Pennsylvania in favor of independence; shunned by former friends afterward. Dies in April 1777 — one of the first signatories to die after signing.
28	George Clymer	Merchant, banker	Philadelphia, PA	1739	1813	Philadelphia home ransacked by British troops; also signs the U.S. Constitution in 1787.
29	James Smith	Lawyer, ironmaster	Ireland	c. 1719	1806	York, PA office burned during British occupation. Born in Ireland.
30	George Taylor	Ironmaster	Ireland	1716	1781	Arrived in America as an indentured servant; rose to prominence as an ironmaster. Health declines after signing; dies in 1781. Born in Ireland.
31	James Wilson	Lawyer, jurist	Scotland	1742	1798	Notable Role Becomes one of the original Associate Justices of the U.S. Supreme Court (1789). Born in Scotland. Dies in poverty while fleeing debt collectors.
32	George Ross	Lawyer, judge	New Castle, DE	1730	1779	Uncle of Betsy Ross by marriage (disputed claim, but popularized in 19th century accounts). Serves as admiralty judge after signing; dies in office in 1779.

Delaware — 3 Delegates

#	Name	Occupation / Role	Birthplace	Born	Died	Notes
33	Caesar Rodney	Planter, general	Dover, DE	1728	1784	Rides 80 miles overnight through a thunderstorm to cast the deciding vote for Delaware’s support of independence — one of the most dramatic moments of the entire process. His image appears on Delaware’s state quarter.
34	George Read	Lawyer, judge	Cecil County, MD	1733	1798	Initially votes against independence, then signs the Declaration anyway. Later signs the Constitution; serves as Chief Justice of Delaware.
35	Thomas McKean	Lawyer, statesman	Chester County, PA	1734	1817	His exact signing date is unclear — sources place it anywhere from 1776 to as late as 1781. The historical record on this point has not been definitively settled, and we will update this entry if a reputable primary source provides clarification. He later serves as President of Congress and governor of Pennsylvania.

Maryland — 4 Delegates

#	Name	Occupation / Role	Birthplace	Born	Died	Notes
36	Samuel Chase	Lawyer, judge	Somerset County, MD	1741	1811	Notable Role Becomes Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court (1796); the only Supreme Court Justice ever impeached, though acquitted by the Senate in 1805.
37	William Paca	Lawyer, planter	Harford County, MD	1740	1799	Governor of Maryland during the war; Wye Hall estate survives and still stands today in Annapolis as a historic site.
38	Thomas Stone	Lawyer, planter	Charles County, MD	1743	1787	Generally cautious about independence; signs despite reservations. Wife’s health deteriorates after a smallpox inoculation; he dies shortly after her in 1787, reportedly of grief.
39	Charles Carroll of Carrollton	Planter, senator	Annapolis, MD	1737	1832	Wealthiest man in America at the time of signing; the only Roman Catholic signatory. Adds “of Carrollton” to distinguish himself and make it easier to find him, per legend. Last surviving signatory — dies at age 95 in 1832.

Virginia — 7 Delegates

#	Name	Occupation / Role	Birthplace	Born	Died	Notes
40	George Wythe	Lawyer, professor	Elizabeth City County, VA	1726	1806	America’s first law professor; mentors Thomas Jefferson, Henry Clay, and John Marshall. Murdered in 1806 — poisoned by a grandnephew seeking an inheritance.
41	Richard Henry Lee	Planter, statesman	Westmoreland County, VA	1732	1794	Introduces the resolution for independence in Congress on June 7, 1776 — the formal starting point of the process. Later serves as President of the Continental Congress and U.S. Senator.
42	Thomas Jefferson	Planter, lawyer, statesman	Shadwell, VA	1743	1826	Future President Primary author of the Declaration; third President of the United States (1801–1809). Dies on July 4, 1826 — the same day as John Adams, exactly 50 years after the Declaration’s adoption.
43	Benjamin Harrison	Planter, statesman	Berkeley Plantation, VA	c. 1726	1791	Father of future President William Henry Harrison and great-grandfather of President Benjamin Harrison — making him the patriarchal link in a three-president family line. Serves as governor of Virginia.
44	Thomas Nelson Jr.	Planter, general	Yorktown, VA	1738	1789	Commands Virginia militia at the siege of Yorktown; reportedly orders Continental artillery to fire on his own Yorktown mansion, occupied by Cornwallis. Spends his fortune on the war effort and dies nearly bankrupt.
45	Francis Lightfoot Lee	Planter, statesman	Westmoreland County, VA	1734	1797	Brother of Richard Henry Lee — one of two pairs of brothers among the signatories. Retires from public life after the war.
46	Carter Braxton	Planter, merchant	Newington Plantation, VA	1736	1797	One of the wealthiest Virginians before the war; loses ships and property to British raids and wartime economic disruption. Dies in near-poverty.

North Carolina — 3 Delegates

#	Name	Occupation / Role	Birthplace	Born	Died	Notes
47	William Hooper	Lawyer	Boston, MA	1742	1790	Had previously opposed colonial resistance movements; switches positions and supports independence. Family forced to flee multiple times as Loyalist and British forces target him.
48	Joseph Hewes	Merchant, statesman	Kingston, NJ	1730	1779	Key supporter of John Paul Jones’s naval career; helps create the Continental Navy. Overworks himself in congressional service and dies in Philadelphia in 1779.
49	John Penn	Lawyer	Caroline County, VA	1741	1788	Largely self-educated lawyer who teaches himself law from borrowed books. Serves on the Board of War during the Revolution.

South Carolina — 4 Delegates

#	Name	Occupation / Role	Birthplace	Born	Died	Notes
50	Edward Rutledge	Lawyer, planter	Charleston, SC	1749	1800	Youngest signer at 26. Captured by the British in 1780 and held prisoner for nearly a year. Later serves as governor of South Carolina.
51	Thomas Heyward Jr.	Lawyer, planter	St. Luke’s Parish, SC	1746	1809	Captured by the British in 1780; held prisoner at St. Augustine for nearly a year. Estate looted during the war.
52	Thomas Lynch Jr.	Planter	Prince George’s Parish, SC	1749	1779	Health severely damaged during the war; sets sail for a warmer climate in 1779 and is lost at sea, presumed dead at age 30. One of the shortest-lived signatories.
53	Arthur Middleton	Planter, statesman	Middleton Place, SC	1742	1787	Captured by the British at Charleston in 1780 and held prisoner for a year. Estate ransacked; he dies relatively young at 44 in 1787.

Georgia — 3 Delegates

#	Name	Occupation / Role	Birthplace	Born	Died	Notes
54	Button Gwinnett	Merchant, planter	England	c. 1735	1777	Name is memorably distinctive. Dies in a duel in May 1777 — less than a year after signing. His autograph is among the rarest of all signatories and commands extraordinary prices at auction.
55	Lyman Hall	Physician, minister	Wallingford, CT	1724	1790	Plantation burned by the British; flees to the North during British occupation of Georgia. Returns after the war and serves as governor of Georgia.
56	George Walton	Lawyer, statesman	Prince Edward County, VA	c. 1749	1804	Wounded and captured by the British at the Battle of Savannah in 1778. Serves as governor of Georgia twice and as a U.S. Senator.

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