There's an awful lot of fuss going on about who the incoming president is selecting for his cabinet. While various degrees of mud is dug up and slung, one of the biggest and loudest complaints by the opponents of his choices has been that they are either too young or lack experience, which seems to mean they aren't politician enough. The old guard sure doesn't like being shaken up!
So, let's take a look back at the ages of our founding fathers when they wrote and signed the Declaration of Independence. Let's think about their experience or lack thereof. Consider that most of them weren't politicians at all, but farmers, soldiers, lawyers, printers, and usually held more than one type of vocation.
Finally, let us ask ourselves whether or not they knew what they were about. I say that rhetorically, as I believe they clearly did know what they were about, and we've now 250 years behind us as the greatest nation in the world to prove it.
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| The Declaration Committee, Thomas Jefferson, Robert Sherman, Benjamin Franklin, Robert R. Livingston, John Adams - Library of Congress |
HOW OLD WERE THEY?
Signatories of the Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776, by Age Group
20s and 30s:
50s:
Jonathan Dayton, 26
Thomas Lynch, Jr., 26
Edward Rutledge, 26
Thomas Heyward, Jr., 30
Benjamin Dr. Rush, 30
Elbridge Gerry, 32
Thomas Jefferson, 33
Thomas Stone, 33
James Wilson, 33
Hooper William, 34
Arthur Middleton, 34
Samuel Chase, 35
William Paca, 35
George Walton, 35
John Penn, 36
George Clymer, 37
Thomas Nelson, Jr., 37
Charles of Carrollton, Carroll, 38
Francis Hopkinson, 38
Carter Braxton, 39
Edward Rutledge, 26
Thomas Heyward, Jr., 30
Benjamin Dr. Rush, 30
Elbridge Gerry, 32
Thomas Jefferson, 33
Thomas Stone, 33
James Wilson, 33
Hooper William, 34
Arthur Middleton, 34
Samuel Chase, 35
William Paca, 35
George Walton, 35
John Penn, 36
George Clymer, 37
Thomas Nelson, Jr., 37
Charles of Carrollton, Carroll, 38
Francis Hopkinson, 38
Carter Braxton, 39
40s:
John Adams, 40
John Hancock, 40
William Floyd 41
Button Gwinnett, 41
Francis Lightfoot Lee, 41
Thomas McKean, 42
Robert Morris, 42
George Read, 42
Henry Richard Lee, 44
Samuel Huntington, 45
Richard Stockton, 45
Robert Treat Paine, 45
William Williamson, 45
Josiah Bartlett, 46
George Ross, 46
Joseph Hewes, 46
William Whipple, 46
Caesar Rodney, 47
William Ellery, 48
Oliver Wolcott, 49
John Hancock, 40
William Floyd 41
Button Gwinnett, 41
Francis Lightfoot Lee, 41
Thomas McKean, 42
Robert Morris, 42
George Read, 42
Henry Richard Lee, 44
Samuel Huntington, 45
Richard Stockton, 45
Robert Treat Paine, 45
William Williamson, 45
Josiah Bartlett, 46
George Ross, 46
Joseph Hewes, 46
William Whipple, 46
Caesar Rodney, 47
William Ellery, 48
Oliver Wolcott, 49
50s:
Abraham Clark, 50
Benjamin Harrison, 50
Lewis Morris, 50
George Whythe, 50
Lyman Hall, 52
John Morton, 52
Samuel Adams, 53
John Witherspoon, 53
Roger Sherman, 55
James Smith, 57
Benjamin Harrison, 50
Lewis Morris, 50
George Whythe, 50
Lyman Hall, 52
John Morton, 52
Samuel Adams, 53
John Witherspoon, 53
Roger Sherman, 55
James Smith, 57
60s+
Philip Livingston, 60
George Taylor, 60
Matthew Thornton, 62
Francis Lewis, 63
John Hart, 65
Stephen Hopkins, 69
George Taylor, 60
Matthew Thornton, 62
Francis Lewis, 63
John Hart, 65
Stephen Hopkins, 69
Benjamin Franklin, 70
As to their backgrounds, there were merchants, shippers (including a sea captain), farmers, at least one printer, one iron master, and doctors. While some of them were land owners and landed gentry, one of them came to America as an Indentured servant.
Many were trained in the law, but did not all become lawyers. Also, many were trained in theology, and four became ministers. Although there was one Catholic and a few Deists in the group, nearly all of them were Protestants.
Only Samuel Adams pursued politics as a vocation.
To satisfy our curiosity, let's take a look too at the signers of the Constitution, eleven years later.
To satisfy our curiosity, let's take a look too at the signers of the Constitution, eleven years later.
Signatories of the U.S. Constitution, Sept. 17, 1787, by Age Group
20s and 30s:
Richard Dobbs Spaight, 29
Charles Pinckney, 29
Abraham Baldwin, 32
Alexander Hamilton, 32
Alexander Hamilton, 32
Rufus King, 32
Nicholas Gilman, 32
David Brearly (Brearley), 32
James McHenry, 33
Jacob Broom, 35
Gouverneur Morris, 35
James Madison, Jr., 36
Jared Ingersoll, 37
William Few, 39
40s:
Gunning Bedford, Jr., 40
William Paterson (Patterson), 41
William Paterson (Patterson), 41
Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, 41
Thomas Fitzsimons (FitzSimons; Fitzsimmons), 41
Pierce Butler, 43
Thomas Mifflin, 43
Richard Bassett, 45
James Wilson, 45
John Langdon, 46
John Rutledge, 48
Nathaniel Gorham, 49
George Clymer, 49
50s:
Hugh Williamson, 51
Robert Morris, 53
John Dickinson, 54:
George Read, 54
John Blair, 55
John Blair, 55
George Washington, 55
Daniel Carroll, 57
60s+
William Samuel Johnson, 60
William Samuel Johnson, 60
William Livingston, 63
William Blount, 63
Daniel of St. Thomas Jenifer, 64 (approximately)
Roger Sherman, 66
Roger Sherman, 66
Benjamin Franklin, 81
I find the youth of our forefathers amazing to consider. It really makes one pause to think about the value and what kinds of "experience" belong to great achievements.
So don't let the white wigs fool you! Think of a 33-year-old Thomas Jefferson drafting our marvelous Declaration!
From the Library of Congress view:
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Thank you for posting today. This was a very interesting perspective.
ReplyDeleteInteresting Post. However...Boys took on jobs/careers or university at 16-17. The age of majority or adulthood was 21, but young people were already starting their careers by the time they became legal adults. The average age of death in the post-colonial era, around 1776, was around 34.5 years old. So technically one half of their 'congress' was way over the hill. Statistics are always subject to so many outside influences, and I should say nuances. When looking at these stats for 1776, the congress by then was very experienced and learned in their time. By today's standards we live until our upper 70's as an average, and few 30 year olds have their lives together at the level as those of 1776.
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