The Signers

The Signers: A close examination of the 56 men who signed the Declaration offers a window into the Revolutionary generation and their decision to launch one of the boldest political experiments in human history.

Although they shared a gender and a race, in other aspects, the group was diverse, representing different occupations, levels of wealth, and education. Many of the delegates were born outside the American colonies, which influenced the grievance regarding immigration restrictions. The signers of the Declaration came from different religious backgrounds and believed in the principle of religious liberty, which ensured the document’s secular tone.

A tragic paradox of American history is that half the men who signed a document declaring “all men are created equal” enslaved other human beings. However, other signers, such as Ben Franklin and John Adams, were becoming increasingly outspoken in their opposition to slavery. And the Declaration soon became a touchstone for equality, inspiring individuals and groups not originally included in the Declaration’s promise of social and political equality to work to make the words “all men are created equal” apply to them.