Lesser-known Signers of the Declaration of Independence: Thomas Stone of Maryland

Thomas Stone, a lawyer from Maryland, died at a young age. Was he the only signer to die of a broken heart? Modern medicine has actually identified a real medical condition, "broken heart syndrome," which sometimes happens to a person whose spouse dies first, and they simply cannot live without them. The concept is as …

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Lesser-Known Signers of the Declaration of Independence: George Clymer of Pennsylvania

George Clymer was an orphan who made good. Very good. George Clymer, a grandson of an original settler of the Penn colony, became an orphan at the age of one. He went to live with a wealthy uncle in Philadelphia, where he received an informal education and he grew up working in his uncle’s mercantile …

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Lesser-known Signers of the Declaration of Independence: Abraham Clark of New Jersey (two takes on his life)

For this lesser-known signer, I am reproducing two separate takes on his life. The first one is from the White House site where I have been getting my information on the other signers. The second one is from an X post that crossed my feed earlier today. Same guy, two different looks at his life …

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In keeping with the America 250 theme, here’s some history you may not be familiar with.

This is a different take on the Boston Tea Party. 252 years ago today, the British Empire closed the busiest port in North America to teach one colony a lesson, and accidentally turned thirteen colonies into one country. On December 16, 1773, a few dozen Bostonians had thrown 342 chests of East India Company tea …

Continue reading In keeping with the America 250 theme, here’s some history you may not be familiar with.

Lesser-Known Signers of the Declaration of Independence: Francis Lightfoot Lee of Virginia

Did you know that there was a set of brothers who both signed the Declaration of Independence? Francis Lightfoot Lee was one of a pair. Francis Lightfoot Lee was born on October 14, 1734, at Stratford Hall Plantation, Virginia, into the prominent Lee family, a political dynasty with roots in America dating back to the …

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Lesser-known Signers of the Declaration of Independence: Arthur Middleton of South Carolina

Arthur Middleton was a son of South Carolina, and had a very interesting life. See if you don't agree. Arthur Middleton was a South Carolinian patriot who fiercely defended his colony’s interests and supported radical measures against British rule. He was one of a handful of signers of the Declaration of Independence to become a …

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Lesser-known Signers of the Declaration of Independence: William Paca of Maryland

I can honestly say that I have never heard of this Maryland gentleman who signed the Declaration. He was an interesting fellow, see if you don't agree! A respected lawyer, jurist, and public servant, William Paca was known for his quiet, razor-sharp logic and strategy—and his impact on Maryland politics before, during, and after the …

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Less-known Signers of the Declaration of Independence: Joseph Hewes of North Carolina, by way of New Jersey and Pennsylvania

For this installment in my 250th-anniversary series, I chose a signer whom I had never heard of. This gentleman had a circuitous life in the Colonies-born in one state and resident of two others. He earned wealth as a merchant, and served his country in the Continental Congress. It's a shame that he didn't live …

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Next Installment, Lesser-known Signers of the Declaration of Independence. Lyman Hall of Georgia, via Connecticut

Dr. Hall was one of the few physicians who sighed the Declaration, and he had a consequential life. Lyman Hall was born in Wallingford, Connecticut, on April 12, 1724, as the fourth of eight children. He pursued his studies at Yale College, where he graduated in 1747. He became an ordained Congregational minister, but soon …

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Continued: Next installment of the lesser-known signers of the Declaration of Independence. Thomas Lynch, Jr. of South Carolina

Thomas Lynch Jr. was a scholar, legislator, farmer, soldier, and patriot who gave his life and family to the cause of American independence. He was the second-youngest signer of the Declaration of Independence and did not live to see the end of the Revolution. Born on August 5, 1749, in Prince George’s Parish, South Carolina, …

Continue reading Continued: Next installment of the lesser-known signers of the Declaration of Independence. Thomas Lynch, Jr. of South Carolina