Morris and Dickenson were absent July 4. Morris was in favor, and was absent on Government business. Dickenson opposed the measure, and was intentionally absent when the vote was taken. They were not signers of the "copy," August 2, 1776, not then being members. Willing and Humphreys voted against the adoption July 4; they were not signers of the "copy," August 2, 1776, not then being members. The Pennsylvania delegation on July 4 were divided: Morris and Dickenson absent, Franklin and Wilson in favor, Willing and Humphreys opposed. Morton held the deciding vote as to Pennsylvania's action. He voted in favor of the measure. A tablet in Morton Hall, Philadelphia, notes: JOHN MORTON MEMBER OF THE STAMP ACT CONGRESS FROM THIS COLONY JUDGE OF THE SUPREME Court DELEGATE TO THE FIRST CONGRESS IN 1774 DELEGATION HE CROWNED THE KEYSTONE OF THE ARCH OF LIBERTY AND SECURED TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE HIMSELF A SIGNER BORN A.D. 1724 DIED A.D. 1777 Rush, Clymer, Smith, and Ross signed the "copy," August 2, 1776. They were not members July 4, not having been chosen delegates to Congress until July 20, 1776. Delaware. Rodney and McKean voted in favor. Rodney signed the "copy," August 2, 1776. McKean did not sign the " copy" until October, 1776. Immediately after the passage of the Declaration he was called away to the aid of General Washington in New Jersey with his regiment, the "City Associators," of which he was colonel. The Journal of Congress does not print McKean's name as a subscriber, though he both voted for the measure and signed the "copy." Read was opposed to the measure. He was not present July 4, 1776. He later changed his opinion, signing the "copy," August 2, 1776. Maryland. Stone and Paca voted in favor, and signed the "copy," August 2, 1776. Chase was not present July 4, 1776, did not take his seat as a member until July 9, 1776. He signed the "copy," August 2, 1776. Carroll was not present July 4, 1776, did not reach Philadelphia until July 8, taking his seat in Congress July 18, 1776. He was an indefatigable worker toward having the restrictive instructions governing the Maryland representatives removed. He was successful; so that, while not present July 4, he was most powerful in his absence, as he secured his state toward favoring the Declaration. He signed the "copy," August 2, 1776, adding his address, "Carrollton," as he had a cousin of the same name, a resident of Maryland, who he feared might be taken for him, the signer thereby escaping attainder or other punishment that might fall upon the heads of the members of Congress. Virginia. Wythe, R. H. Lee, Jefferson, Harrison, Nelson, F. L. Lee, and Braxton voted in favor, and signed the "copy," August 2, 1776. Francis Lightfoot Lee was a younger brother of Richard Henry Lee. North Carolina. Hooper, Hewes, and Penn voted in favor, and signed the "copy," August 2, 1776. South Carolina. Rutledge, Heyward, Lynch, and Middleton voted in favor, and signed the "copy," August 2, 1776. Georgia. Gwinnett, Hall, and Walton voted in favor, and signed the "copy," August 2, 1776. Ages of Signers. Oldest member at time of signing, Franklin, in his 71st year. (Lost at sea.) The youngest, Edward Rutledge, 27 years old. At death, five signers were over 90 years of age, eight over 80, ten over 70, fourteen over 60, eleven over 50, seven over 40, one 30 and under 40 ; an exhibit of an extraordinary average age, probably the greatest reached by any body of men. John Morton was the first to die, Charles Carroll the last. Adams, John.. 6 Mass. Bay. Lawyer.... Oct. 19, 1785 Braintree.... Mass. July 4, 1826 92 Merchant.. Sep. 22, 1722 Boston...... 2 66 Oct. 8, 1803 $1 9 N. Hamp.. Physician.. Nov....1729 Amesbury.... 31 Maryland.. Lawyer.... 44 14 N. Jersey.. R. I. and Prov. Plan. Ellery, William.. 22 May 19, 1795 67 20, 1737 Annapolis..... Md. Nov. 14, 1882 96 Apr. 17, 1741 Somerset Co... Md. June19, 1811 71 Feb. 15, 1726 Elizabethtown, N.J. Sep....1794 69 Merchant.. Jan. 24, 1789 Philadelphia... .... Pa. Jan. 28, 1818 75 Jan. 17, 1706 Boston...... Mass. Apr. 17, 1790 85 Merchant.. July 17, 1744 Marblehead....... 47 Georgia.... Physician.. 35 N. Carolina Lawyer.... 23 N. Carolina 12 Prov. Plan. Hopkinson, Francis.. 29 N. Jersey.. Livingston, Philip.. 3 66 66 ..1746 St. Luke's.....S.C. Mar....1809 63 June17, 1742 Boston...... Mass. Oct.....1790 49 Farmer.... Mar. 7, 1707 Scituate..... Lawyer.... 66 July 18, 1785 79 7 New York. Merchant.. March, 1713 Llandaff..... Wales Dec. 30, 1808 91 49 Virginia... Statesman. Dec. 26, 1738 York 28 Maryland.. Lawyer.... Oct. 31, 1740 Wye Hall. 4 Mass. Bay. 18 N. Carolina 41 Delaware.. 52 66 37 Penn...... 46 36 Penn.. 46 ..1781 Boston.. May 17, 1741 Caroline Co.... Va. Sep. .1734 Cecil Co..... Md. . Del. .1788 48 1798 64 .1783 53 .1779.49 July.. 34 S. Carolina Lawyer... Nov....1749 Charleston.. ...S.C. Jan. 23, 1800 51 Thornton, Matthew.. 17 N. Hamp.. Stockton, Richard... Stone, Thomas. Taylor, George... 10 N. Jersey 30 Maryland.. 33 Penn.. 66 Physician.. Walton, George. ... 53 Georgia.. Lawyer.... Williams, William.... 26 42 Pena......Lawyer.... Whipple, William 20 Conn.. Wilson, James. June24, 1803 9 ..1740 Frederick Co... Va. Feb. 2, 1804 64 ..1730 Kittery. Me. Nov. 28, 1785/55 Statesman Apr. 8, 1781 Lebanon.....Conn. Aug. 2. 1811 S1 1742 St. Andrews..Scot. Witherspoon, John... 21 N. Jersey. Minister. Feb. 5, 1722 Yester..... 28, 1798 56 Nov. 15, 1794 73 Wolcott, Oliver.. 25 Conn.. Physician.. Nov. 26, 1726 Windsor.....Conn. Dec. 1, 1797 72 Wythe, George.. 45 Virginia... Lawyer... ....1726 Elizabeth Co... Va. June 8, 1806 80 1 Order in which they signed. Age at death. HEN in the Courfe of human Eve accomes necessary which For quartering large Bodies of armed Troops among on: mock Trial, any Ma W for one People to difakve the Polituring an each have come for protecting them, by a work frnt, frum Ponthers for of the Earth, the feperate and equal Station to bich the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God eatule them, a decent Respect to the Opinions of Mankind requires that they fould declare the Causes which sepel the the leperation. We hold the Truths to be felf-evident, that all Men are created For cuning off our Trade with ili Parts of the World depricing in many Cafes, of the Benefits of Trial by Jury For scanfporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended Offences equs, that they are endowed by their Ceara with certain unalienabi: aligning the free fyfem of English Law in a mighbouring Province therein an arbitrary Covernment, and enlaging Boundaries, f render is at once an Example and fit laltrument for introducing the fame abfolute Rule into thefe Colonies: Rights, that among theiz ate Life, Liberty, and the Parfuit of Happi- For taking sway our Charters, aboliding our most valuable. Lows, and sitering fundamentally the Forms of our Government For fulpeeding our own Legiatorer, and declaring themselves invested Right, sick Duty, to throw off fuch Covernment, and to provid! Ha a refufed his Affe Laws, the most wholesome and neceJary for the puble Good He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protefian and waging He has plundered our Seas, rauged at Chaty, Here: our Tomas, and dabrayed the Lives of our Temple He is at this True, transparing Forge Armies of foreign senaries to comm plear the Works of Death, Deflation and Tyranny, already began wit Catumfaners of Cruelty and Perfily Karcely paralleled in the mu? kassa sous Agre, and totally unworthy the icad of a civilund Namun He has conârained our fellow Grizens taken Capuse on the high Seas beat Arms again Useir Country, to become the Executiveers of tier friends while known Rule of Warfare, is an undiflingud DePrusion, ut a In every Stage of thefe Oppreffions we have proned for Retref, is the mol humble Terms Our repeated Pension live benfrent cap by repented lojury A Prince, hal. Charade as the corked by city Act preff.ch may decor a Tyrant, is unft to be th: Rule of a fice People. Hit had forbudden bu Coverers to pass Laws of immediate and any limpar taust, velca ferroded in their Operation till his Allen found •sed, and mica lɔ but ended, he has utterly orglected to accend No cures. iis kas refused to pass ocher Laws for the Accommodation of large Districle of People, undris ufe People would relinquith the Right of Rehe catatron in the Legislature, a Right incitmable to them, and formid. all wo Trance anty. acaded together Legifhore Bodies at Places unufsal, uncomfor, and sulaut from the Depolitory of ther public Records, for the tale Purple languing them into Comphance with bis Mcstures. dband Representative Louies iepeatedly, for oppofing with mandy Fomoch ha Invalons on the Rights of the People. He has refuled for a long Time, after foch Duflotions, to caule others to be ciend, whereby the Legiflative Powera, incapable of Annihilation, hase returned to the people as large for their exercise, the Star e Cinances of our Exigration and Seulement here. pealed to their mauve Juice and Magnanimity, and we five conjured by the Tira of our common Kindred to devo chefe Ufurpations, would inevitably interrupt out often and Correpentiner. They 120 been deaf to the Voice of Jutice and if Confanguinity. therefore, acquince on the Necefity which denounces our Separation, and holdates, as we hold the rest of Mankind, Enco in War; in Ivice. We mu We, therefore, the Reprefentaures of the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, in GENERAL CONGRESS affembled, appealing to cle fulemsly Supreme Judge of the World for the iteflitude of aut Inimages, do in the Right eight ub-Name and by the Authority of the good Pemple of thef, Colonies, fude Publish and Declare, That thefe United Colous arr, and of to be, FAER AND INDEPENDENT STATIS, that they we abfeld a all Allegiance to the British Cres, and that all polical Connection ber them and the State of Great Brita, sed ought to be incally and unt as FREE AND INDEPENDENT STATES, they have fall Po my War, conclude Prace, contraf Aliances, eflab di Cominere, and to do all orner Afts and Things which INDEPENDENT STATE, Ay of Right da And for the Support of this Declaration, with a firm Relance on the Fide uction of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Liveh Forniper, and our facred Honor B, and Convalkona He has red dependent on his Will alone, for the Tenure of their made of neo Ofices, and fent Licher Swarms of AMERICA Boston, Printed by JOHN GILL and POWARS and WILLIS, in QUEEN STREET. BROADSIDE OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE. |