Signers of the Declaration - 6/30/27

Signers of the Declaration

July 1, 2026 - June 30, 2027

Levels:
Level 1: 12-19 tasks
Level 2: 20-39 tasks
Level 3: 40+ tasks
 
You may use each task as many times as you wish.
 
 
The signing of the United States Declaration of Independence occurred primarily on August 2, 1776, at the Pennsylvania State House, later renamed Independence Hall, in Philadelphia. The 56 delegates to the Second Continental Congress represented the Thirteen Colonies, 12 of the colonies voted to approve the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. The New York delegation abstained because they had not yet received authorization from Albany to vote on the issue of independence. The Declaration proclaimed the Thirteen Colonies were now "free and independent States", no longer colonies of the Kingdom of Great Britain and, thus, no longer a part of the British Empire. The signers’ names are grouped by state, with the exception of John Hancock, as President of the Continental Congress; the states are arranged geographically from south to north, with Button Gwinnett from Georgia first, and Matthew Thornton from New Hampshire last.
 
Delaware:
George Read | Caesar Rodney | Thomas McKean
 
Pennsylvania:
George Clymer | Benjamin Franklin | Robert Morris | John Morton | Benjamin Rush | George Ross | James Smith | James Wilson | George Taylor
 
Massachusetts:
John Adams | Samuel Adams | John Hancock | Robert Treat Paine | Elbridge Gerry
 
New Hampshire:
Josiah Bartlett | William Whipple | Matthew Thornton
 
Rhode Island:
Stephen Hopkins | William Ellery
 
New York:
Lewis Morris | Philip Livingston | Francis Lewis | William Floyd
 
Georgia:
Button Gwinnett | Lyman Hall | George Walton
 
Virginia:
Richard Henry Lee | Francis Lightfoot Lee | Carter Braxton | Benjamin Harrison | Thomas Jefferson | George Wythe | Thomas Nelson, Jr.
 
North Carolina:
William Hooper | John Penn | Joseph Hewes
 
South Carolina:
Edward Rutledge | Arthur Middleton | Thomas Lynch, Jr. | Thomas Heyward, Jr.
 
New Jersey:
Abraham Clark | John Hart | Francis Hopkinson | Richard Stockton | John Witherspoon
 
Connecticut:
Samuel Huntington | Roger Sherman | William Williams | Oliver Wolcott
 
Maryland:
Charles Carroll | Samuel Chase | Thomas Stone | William Paca
 
9/40
 
📜 1. Read a book set in Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Rhode Island or Virginia.

 
📜 2. Read a book with a character whose first or last name is Abraham, Arthur, Benjamin, Button, Caesar, Carter, Charles, Edward, Elbridge, Francis, George, James, John, Joseph, Josiah, Lewis, Lyman, Matthew, Philip, Oliver, Richard, Robert, Roger, Samuel, Stephen, Thomas, or William.

A Secret to Shock to Shock the Earl - Laura Martin (HH #1905 - Mar 2026) (Richard - char) - July 9
 
📜 3. Read a book by an author whose first name is Abraham, Arthur, Benjamin, Button, Caesar, Carter, Charles, Edward, Elbridge, Francis, George, James, John, Joseph, Josiah, Lewis, Lyman, Matthew, Philip, Oliver, Richard, Robert, Roger, Samuel, Stephen, Thomas, or William.
 
📜 4. Read a book by an author whose last name is Adams, Bartlett, Braxton, Carroll, Chase, Clark, Clymer, Ellery, Floyd, Franklin, Gerry, Gwinnett, Hall, Hancock, Harrison, Hart, Hewes, Heyward, Hooper, Hopkins, Hopkinson, Huntington, Jefferson, Lee, Lewis, Livingston, Lynch, McKean, Middleton, Morris, Morton, Nelson, Paca, Paine, Penn, Read, Rodney, Ross, Rush, Rutledge, Sherman, Smith, Stockton, Stone, Taylor, Thornton, Walton, Whipple, Williams, Wilson, Witherspoon, Wolcott or Wythe.
 
📜 5. Read a book set in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
📜 6. Read a book where someone visits a state house or Independence Hall.
📜 7. Read a book with 13 or 56 (intact) in the page count (share page count).
📜 8. Read a book where you find two of the following numbers in the page count: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8 (share page count).

Marked as a Lyon's Marchioness - Wendy LaCapra (Dragonblade - Jan 2026) (234 pgs) - July 2
📜 9. Read a Series book #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #13, #17, #56 or #76 (share series name).
 
The most famous signature is that of John Hancock, who presumably signed first as President of Congress. Hancock's large, flamboyant signature became iconic, and John Hancock emerged in the United States as an informal synonym for "signature".
📜 10. Read a book where a paper is signed.
📜 11. Read a book where the name John Hancock is mentioned.
📜 12. Read a book with a LARGE title (show cover).
 
Future presidents Thomas Jefferson and John Adams were among the signatories. Edward Rutledge (age 26) was the youngest signer and Benjamin Franklin (age 70) the oldest. Eighteen of the signers were in their 30s, and only seven were over 60. Of the 56 men who signed, only two never married.
📜 13. Read a book with a character in their 20s.

The Lyon's Nemesis - Belle Ami (Dragonblade - Jan 2026) - July 23
📜 14. Read a book with a character in their 30s.

Crime Scene K-9 - Julie Miller (HI #2303 - Aug 2025) (38) - July 10
📜 15. Read a book with a character in their 60s.
📜 16. Read a book with a young character (26 or younger) and an old character (70 or older).
 
The signers sired a total of 325 children. It was believed that about 8 of the men didn’t have children. However, Carter Braxton, William Ellery, and Robert Sherman picked up the slack by having (respectively) 18, 17 and 15 children.
📜 17. Read a book where a man has no children.
📜 18. Read a book with a family man.
 
All of these men, but 8, were born in the colonies. Two were born in England, two were born in Scotland, one was born in Wales and three were born in Ireland.
📜 19. Read a book set in England, Scotland, Wales or Ireland.
 
John Adams and Thomas Jefferson went on to serve as the President of the United States.
📜 20. Read a book with a President of the United States as a character - does not need to be a real-life person.
 
Three men, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and Elbridge Gerry, became the first, second, and fifth vice presidents, respectively. John Adam’s son, John Quincy Adams, would become the sixth president. Benjamin Harrison V was the father of ninth president William Henry Harrison and great-grandfather of twenty-third president Benjamin Harrison.
📜 21. Read a series book #1, #2, #5, #6, #9 or #23 (share series name).

Lark's Song - Josie Jade (Calamitte Jane Pub - July 2026) (Warrior Security #5) - July 30
📜 22. Read a book with a father and son as characters.

The Maverick's Homecoming - Christine Rimmer (Harlequin - Aug 2026) - Aug 6
📜 23. Read a book where there is a great-grandfather.
📜 24. Read a book where you find the word GREAT-GRANDFATHER in the text (share page/Loc#).
 
Eight of the signers of the Declaration of Independence were Harvard graduates.
📜 25. Read a book where a character is going or has attended Harvard University.
 
Eight of the signers of the Declaration of Independence attended Cambridge University.
📜 26. Read a book where a character is going or has attended Cambridge University.
 
Six of the signers of the Declaration of Independence were educated at Princeton University.
📜 27. Read a book where a character is going or has attended Princeton University.
 
Four Yale graduates signed the Declaration of Independence.
📜 28. Read a book where a character is going or has attended Yale University.
 
Four College of William and Mary graduates signed the Declaration of Independence.
📜 29. Read a book where a character is going or has attended the College of William and Mary.
 
John Witherspoon brought some impressive credentials and a measure of public acclaim with him when he joined the colonies in 1768, as president of the College of New Jersey (now Princeton).
📜 30. Read a book where a character has "impressive credentials".
📜 31. Read a book where a character is employed by a college or university.
 
25 out of the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence were lawyers. This indicates that legal expertise was a significant background among those who shaped the early United States.
📜 32. Read a book with a lawyer character.
 
John Witherspoon was a minister.
📜 33. Read a book with a minister character.

Falling for the Rabbi - Jennifer Wilck (HSE #3133 - Mar 2026) (rabbi) - Aug 26
 
The next most common occupations were merchants and plantation owners, with 12 delegates each. The rest were a mix of physicians, farmers, land speculators, scientists, printers, with even a musician in Francis Hopkinson.
📜 34. Read a book with a physician, farmer, land speculator, scientist, printer or musician character (share occupation).

The Duke's Meddlesome Matchmaker - Emily E.K. Murdoch (HH #1901 - Feb 2026) (physician) - July 17
 
Charles Carroll of Maryland was the only Catholic signer.
📜 35. Read a book with a Catholic character.
📜 36. Read a book with a Protestant character.
 
Forty-one of them were slave owners, some like Thomas Jefferson owning hundreds of enslaved people.
📜 37. Read a book with a person who owns slaves.
 
Other signers, like Sam Adams, could not even afford a nice suit to wear to the First Continental Congress. His fellow Massachusetts delegate John Hancock bought one for him.
📜 38. Read a book with a poor character.
📜 39. Read a book where one character buys clothing for another character.

Witness Protector - Jude Bayton (HRS #2362 - Feb 2026) - July 5
 
Many of the signers put their money – and their health – where their mouth was. Some pledged their fortunes for the cause of independence, some lost their health, family members, property and wealth. And some lost their lives.
📜 40. Read a book where someone loses their life for a cause.
 
Five were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured before they died.
📜 41. Read a book where a person is captured by the enemy.
📜 42. Read a book where a character is a traitor.
📜 43. Read a book where a person is tortured.
 
Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned.
📜 44. Read a book where a home is ransacked and burned.
 
Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army; another had two sons captured.
📜 45. Read a book where someone loses their child in war.
📜 46. Read a book with an Army soldier.
 
Nine fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War. They signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor.
📜 47. Read a book where someone loses everything because of war.
📜 48. Read a book where a person dies from war wounds.
 
John Morton was the first to pass away in April 1777 (probably from tuberculosis). While most would die naturally or of disease over the coming decades, Button Gwinnett died in a duel with Brigadier General Lachlan McIntosh and Thomas Lynch Jr. would pass in a shipwreck. John Adams and Thomas Jefferson would pass away hours apart on July 4, 1826, the 50th anniversary of the signing. Charles Carroll of Carrollton was the last surviving signer, passing away on Nov 14, 1832, at the age of 95, 56 years after the signing.
📜 48. Read a book where someone dies from an illness, in a duel, in a shipwreck or from old age.
📜 49. Read a book published in November of any year.
📜 50. Read a book with a very old character.
 
Three of the signers made a list on Wikipedia called the richest American by half decade starting in 1770: Benjamin Franklin, John Hancock and Robert Morris.
📜 51. Read a book with a wealthy character.