Signers of the Declaration of Independence (Pt. 3) Quiz

Answer:

The delegates representing Rhode Island and Providence Plantations who signed the Declaration of Independence were Stephen Hopkins and William Ellery.

Stephen Hopkins (1707-1785) was a self-educated scholar and statesman, as well as a land surveyor. At age 69, he was the second oldest person to sign the Declaration. Suffering from cerebral palsy, the future nine-time governor of Rhode Island, steadied his right hand with his left as he signed the Declaration, while saying "My hand trembles, but my heart does not".

After Samuel Ward died, William Ellery (1727-1820) was a Harvard-educated lawyer and merchant, was chosen to replace him as a delegate. Ellery took copious notes during the Continental Congress debates. He voted for independence and signed the Declaration on August 2, 1776, standing beside the clerk, as the other signers added their names. He would later write about the courage and resolve he could see on their faces as they signed. British forces burned his Newport home in 1178 during the occupation of Rhode Island. At age 91, William Ellery was the last surviving signer from New England.

The delegates representing Connecticut who signed the Declaration of Independence were Roger Sherman, Samuel Huntington, William Williams, and Oliver Wolcott.
Roger Sherman (1721-1793) was a self-taught cobbler and lawyer who designed the "Connecticut Compromise" or bicameral Congress, by which to this day we have a Senate and a House of Representatives. So...you can blame him. Roger Sherman is the only Founding Father to sign all four foundational U.S. documents. But it is somewhat debatable what those four are. No doubt the Declaration of Independence is one, as is The Articles of Confederation (1777) which was first constitution that governed the United States during and immediately after the Revolutionary War. He also signed The United States Constitution (1787) which replaced the Articles of Confederation.

Now some say the Bill of Rights is another foundational U.S. document, but really it is part of the Constitution. So that's 3 or possibly 4 depending on how you look at it, but if you wanted to be rock solid in counting a fourth one you could say that The Continental Association (1774) was a foundational document as it was an agreement among the colonies to boycott British goods as a protest against the Intolerable Acts. And yes, Roger Sherman signed that one too. Some people count the Federalist and Anti-Federalist Papers as a foundational document, but that is one that Roger Sherman did not sign.

Samuel Huntington (1731-1796) voted for and signed the Declaration in July 1776. His home in Norwich, Connecticut, was a hub for Revolutionary planning and meetings. He was President of Congress (1779-1781) when the Articles of Confederation were ratified, which technically counts him as being the first "President of the United States" under the Articles, although it was a ceremonial title. He would also serve as Governor and Chief Justice of Connecticut's Supreme Court. Both he and Roger Sherman played important roles in ratifying Connecticut's Constitution.

William Williams (1731-1811) joined the Continental Congress after July 4, 1776, replacing the ailing Oliver Wolcott as a delegate. So, he missed the debating and initial signing, but did sign on August 2nd. After signing, Williams continued to serve in Congress, and helped draft the Articles of Confederation. Like many other signers, he too left himself nearly bankrupt after using his money to fund Connecticut's militia.

In the Summer of 1776, Oliver Wolcott (1726-1797) melted down a lead statue of King George III in NYC to make 42,088 bullets for the Continental Army. He became ill with malaria and was indeed too sick to sign the Declaration, but in the Fall was able to add his signature to the Declaration. He then rejoined his Connecticut troops.

The delegates representing New York who signed the Declaration of Independence were William Floyd, Philip Livingston, Francis Lewis, Lewis Morris.

William Floyd (1734-1821) was a wealthy landowner and militia officer who served on the Continental Congress from its very beginning. After signing the Declaration, the British defeated the Continental Army at the Battle of Long Island, and they seized Floyd's estate, using it as a military base for seven years. Floyd would battle back as a major general in the New York militia. He would later become a U.S. Representative in the first U.S. Congress. The town of Floyd, New York near the Erie Canal is named after him.

Philip Livingston (1716-1778) was a delegate to the Stamp Act Congress in 1765 and his continuing role in uniting colonial resistance against British taxation led to his being selected to the Continental Congress. A merchant and philanthropist who co-founded King's College (now Columbia University) he was one of the richest men in America, but was in debt when he died due to his funding the war effort.

A successful merchant, Francis Lewis (1713-1802) serving on committees such as the Committee of Sixty and the New York Provincial Congress, leading him to be selected as a delegate to the Continental Congress. After signing the Declaration, British forces burned his home in Queens and imprisoned his wife, Elizabeth, in horrible conditions which she never recovered from, dying in 1779, less than two years after her release in a prisoner exchange orchestrated by George Washington. Francis Lewis retired from politics in 1781.

Lewis Morris (1726-1798) was a delegate in the Second Continental Congress. With British troops already so close to his home, Morris's family and his half-brother Gouverneur Morris (who would write the Preamble to the Constitution) warned Lewis that signing the Declaration would endanger him. Undeterred, he signed anyway, saying "Damn the consequences, give me the pen!"

The delegates representing Maryland who signed the Declaration of Independence were Samuel Chase, William Paca, Thomas Stone, and Charles Carroll.

Samuel Chase (1741-1811), aka "Old Bacon Face" for his hot temper and ruddy complexion, he had been a conservative, soon became one of the Continental Congress's most vociferous advocates for independence. He was a leader in Maryland's Sons of Liberty, who traveled across the state to rally support for independence after the provisional government opposed independence. Chase signed the Declaration on August 2, 1776, and would later help formulate Maryland's constitution and the Articles of Confederation.

William Paca (1740-1799) was a legislator who co-founded the Anne Arundel County Sons of Liberty with Samuel Chase. Paca funded Maryland's "Annapolis Tea Party" protest on October 19, 1774, a year after the Boston Tea Party. He voted for independence on July 2nd, and signed the Declaration on August 2nd and later served as Maryland's governor and a federal judge.

Thomas Stone (1743-1787) was a cautious lawyer and politician who was hesitant to advocate for independence at first, but once Maryland's convention agreed to vote for independence, Stone jumped on board and signing the Declaration on August 2, 1776. Afterward, he served Maryland in Congress and the state senate, and assisted the drafting of the Articles of Confederation

Charles Carroll of Carrollton (1737-1832) was the wealthiest man to sign the Declaration, and also the only Catholic to sign. Catholics were discriminated against in both England and the American colonies, and in Maryland, Catholics were banned from voting and holding public office. But because of his wealth (estimated at $500 million in today's money), his education, and his family name, he was able to become a leading voice for independence and religious tolerance, which led to his selection as a delegate to the Continental Congress. He signed on August 2, 1776, adding "of Carrollton" to distinguish himself from his famous relatives at that time, including his father, Charles Carroll of Annapolis, and his cousin, Charles Carroll the Barrister. He was the last surviving signer of the Declaration, outlasting them all he died at age 95.