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View catalog record Historical Note:One of the most enduring myths about the Declaration of Independence is that it was signed by Congress on July 4, 1776, immediately after it was adopted. In actuality the signed version was created at a later date and some of the signers had not yet even been elected to Congress on July 4. On July 19, 1776, after the New York delegation had been given permission to approve the resolution of independence, making the decision unanimous, Congress ordered a copy of the Declaration to be written on parchment for the delegates to sign. Two future presidents, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, were among the signatories. Edward Rutledge (age 26) was the youngest signer, and Benjamin Franklin (age 70) was the oldest signer. Late signers were Elbridge Gerry, Oliver Wolcott, Lewis Morris, Thomas McKean, and Matthew Thornton (who, because of a lack of space, was unable to place his signature on the top right of the signing area with the other New Hampshire delegates, and had to place his signature on the lower right). As new delegates joined the Congress, they were also allowed to sign. A total of 56 delegates eventually signed. Scope and Content Note:This collection consists of original manuscript letters and documents that contain autographs of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. Engraved portraits of many of the signers are also included. In addition, the collection contains the autographs of Robert R. Livingston and Thomas Willing, members of the Continental Congress who voted in favor of independence but did not sign the Declaration, and John Dickinson, who voted against the measure, together with Charles Thomson, Secretary of Congress, and signer of the Declaration, ex officio. These documents range in date from 1749 to 1829, with most from the period of 1775-1785. Also in this collection are the scrapbook which originally contained the Israel K. Tefft collection (see Provenance Note), a few miscellaneous portraits, a two-page biographical sketch of Lyman Hall, one of the signers from Georgia, and an index of contents. This item is stored in the special case originally made to house the collection and scrapbook; the miscellaneous portraits, Hall sketch and index are still in the scrapbook. (Files after Box 6.) The documents are organized alphabetically by state (colony) and then by surname of signer. Provenance Note:The collection was originally assembled by Israel K. Tefft of Savannah, Georgia and later sold at auction in New York City, March 4, 1867, to E. French for $650. New York State purchased it from French in 1868 for $800 and it was deposited in the State Library. (See New York State Library Annual Report for 1874, page 134; also State Library History Bulletin, No. 3, June 1899, page 213). Many additional items were purchased by the library and subsequently added to the collection. Accession numbers of these documents are noted in parentheses after each document. Additional information related to autographs and documents of signers of the Declaration of Independence are found in Box 3 of SC17270. These files, compiled primarily by James I Wyer, director of the New York State Library from 1908 through 1938, include inventories of the collection, correspondence, and auction catalogs, circa 1915. Related Publications Note:For more information on the collection and a letter written about Mr. Tefft by W. Gilmore Simms, "an intimate friend" of the collector, dated Brooklyn, October 3, 1866, see Catalogue of the Entire Collection of Autographs of the Late Mr. I.K. Tefft, of Savannah, Ga. Included in This Catalogue Are Two Books, Containing a Complete Set of Autographs of the Signer of the Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776, and of the Signers of the Constitution of the United States ... The Whole To Be Sold by Auction ... at the Trade Sales Rooms, 498 Broadway, New York. Leavitt, Strebeigh & Co., Auctioneers, on Monday, March 4, and Following Days ... Catalogue Prepared by Chas. F. Fisher (A,016.091,T25) The May 28, 1976 issue of the Library of Congress Information Bulletin includes a five-page article (pp. 314-8) entitled "Signers of the Declaration of Independence: A Selected List of References (Excluding Biographies of Individual Signers)". This article, available in the reading room guide to the collection, includes an alphabetical list of the signers. The New York State Library has a copy of the catalog from the Leavitt auction in its auction catalogs collection. Note: The Photocopy version (SC17270) of this collection is housed in 2 boxes: Groups 1-8 found in Box 1; Groups 9-15 in Box 2. Container ListGroup 1: Connecticut
Group 2: Delaware
Group 3: Georgia
Group 4: Maryland
Group 5: Massachusetts
Group 6: New Hampshire
Group 7: New Jersey
Group 8: New York
Group 9: North Carolina
Group 10: Pennsylvania
Group 11: Rhode Island
Group 12: South Carolina
Group 13: Virginia
Group 14: Letters and documents of members of the Continental Congress who did not sign the Declaration of Independence
Group 15: Miscellaneous documents related to the Declaration of Independence
Last Updated: March 30, 2022 How many names signed the Declaration of Independence?56 delegates to the Continental Congress signed the engrossed Declaration of Independence. Most of the signers voted in favor of independence on July 2nd.
Who were the signers of the Declaration of Independence?All those who signed the Declaration were delegates to the Second Continental Congress, which met in Philadelphia. The Congress was a convention of representatives from the various colonies.
Were there are 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence?The 56 Declaration of Independence signers in July 1776 came from various walks of life. Most were considered well-educated for the time. They 56 included lawyers, store merchants, farmers, teachers, one surveyor (Abraham Clark) and even one poor soul who was a printer (Ben Franklin).
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