How Old Were They? Experience and our Nation's Founding Fathers

 

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.

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: 

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

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

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

60s+

Philip Livingston, 60
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.

Signatories of the U.S. Constitution, Sept. 17, 1787, by Age Group

20s and 30s:

Jonathan Dayton, 26

Richard Dobbs Spaight, 29

Charles Pinckney, 29

Abraham Baldwin, 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

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

George Washington, 55

Daniel Carroll, 57

60s+
William Samuel Johnson, 60

William Livingston, 63

William Blount, 63

Daniel of St. Thomas Jenifer, 64 (approximately)
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:

Thomas Jefferson's Rough Draft of the Constitution of the United States

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The Two Wives of Samuel Adams

Blogger: Amber Schamel

Happy Independence Day!

Samuel Adams

Most of us have heard at least a little bit about Samuel Adams, one of the Founding Fathers and a signer of the Declaration of Independence. But lesser known are his wives. I feel like they deserve a lot of credit, because being the wife of Samuel Adams was not an easy position.

Did you know? Samuel Adams actually had two wives. They were both named Elizabeth.
 
Elizabeth Checkley

The Checkleys had been family friends for many years, so Sam and Elizabeth would have grown up knowing each other. Her father was a clergyman and close friends with the elder Mr. Adams, so both families were pleased when a courtship bloomed between the two. Shortly after Samuel’s father had died and left him with an inheritance which including a malt manufacturing company, he married his sweetheart, Elizabeth Checkley on October 17, 1749. The occasion was a happy one, but hardship was soon to follow.

Elizabeth became pregnant with their first son whom they intended to name Samuel, however, when the child was born, he lived only 18 days. While this must have been a great blow to the new couple, God looked upon them and blessed them with another son on October 16, 1751. They named this child Samuel as well, and he lived to adulthood. Two years later, another son they named Joseph died the day after birth. Exactly a year later, their first daughter, Mary, came into the world, but she didn’t occupy it long either. At three months and nine days old, the infant died. Just eighteen months later, another daughter was born, but she was healthy. Elizabeth’s last child was stillborn July 25, 1757. The effects of so many pregnancies and so much grief took its toll, and this time also claimed the life of the mother. After giving birth to six children, Elizabeth passed away at the age of 32.

It’s little wonder that during this time Samuel was greatly distracted. By 1760, everything that Samuel had inherited had dwindled away to nothing. Many blame him for poor management and spending habits, but between his wife’s pregnancies, the deaths of 4 children, and then the death of his wife, it is easy to see how his financial affairs—which were already a weak point for him—suffered all the more.

While their marriage lasted less than ten years, Samuel held his wife in high esteem. After her death, his grief is evident in the note he left in their family Bible.

To her husband she was as sincere a friend as she was a faithful wife. Her exact economy in all her relative capacities, her kindred on his side as well as her own admire. She ran her Christian race with remarkable steadiness and finished in triumph! She left two small children. God grant they may inherit her graces! 

 
Elizabeth Wells

Check out Amber'sBook about Samuel Adams

For seven years, Samuel remained a widower. But with two small children to raise, and a political calling to fulfill, Samuel needed a wife. The fifth daughter of his close friend, Francis Wells caught his eye, and on December 6, 1764, he married Elizabeth Wells. This is the wife who is most well-known since she was Samuel’s helpmate throughout the founding of the nation. She was the daughter of a merchant in Boston, and was hard working, thrifty, and good at managing all the affairs Sam seemed to overlook. She raised two children who were not her own and found ways to supplement Sam’s meager income as he spent his time writing articles, attending congress, inciting patriots to action, and creating an atmosphere of liberty. Without his ‘Betsy’ as he called her, Sam wouldn’t have had the ability to take on everything he did. She was even-tempered and patient, always cheerful and supportive of her husband. She kept a garden to grow food for the family, and also started sewing to earn some extra income.

Elizabeth’s life during the Revolution was frightening. With Samuel signing the declaration of independence, that put his entire family on the British hit list. Elizabeth and Hannah were forced to flee Boston and stay with her father in Cambridge.

After the war, Elizabeth’s life settled down. While Sam was still very active in politics, they lived comfortably in a home on Winter Street. After outliving her husband by about five years, Elizabeth passed away in 1808. 

Giveaway! Leave a comment for your chance to win an ebook copy of Dawn of Liberty the award-winning collection of short stories about Sam Adams and the Declaration of Independence!

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Two-time winner of the Christian Indie Award for historical fiction, Amber Schamel writes riveting stories that bring HIStory to life. She has a passion for travel, history, books and her Savior. This combination results in what her readers call "historical fiction at its finest".  She lives in Colorado and spends half her time volunteering in the Ozarks. Amber is a proud member of the American Christian Fiction Writers Association. Visit her online at www.AmberSchamel.com/ and download a FREE story by subscribing to her Newsletter!

240 Years Ago...They Signed.

Blogger: Amber Schamel

This picture is often thought to be the signing of the Declaration,
but it is actually the presentation of the document by the committee.

Did you know the Declaration of Independence wasn't signed by all of the delegates until August 2nd, 1776? Sure, they adopted the resolution a month before, but the signing didn't happen until a month later. Actually, the timeline of the Declaration is fairly complex. Here are few tidbits I enjoyed discovering. :)

On June 11, 1776, Congress appointed a committee to draft a declaration. The men appointed were Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Roger Sherman, Benjamin Franklin and Robert Livingston. This committee appointed Jefferson to be the primary author of the document. This is probably partially due to the fact that he was a Virginian and they were in need of support from the Virginian delegates.

Drafting a Declaration

June 28th Jefferson and the committee presented the first draft of the Declaration to Congress. I can only imagine being poor Thomas as his work was presented to so many men (many of them good writers) to critique and tear apart. The debate over this document and the entire idea of independence went on for several days. Several major changes were made to the document, including pulling out a clause regarding slavery.

July 2nd, Congress voted to declare independence from Britain.

July 4th BUT, it wasn't until two days later that they adopted Jefferson's final draft of the document. That's where the discrepancy between July 2nd and 4th comes from. Only John Hancock, as the president of the Assembly, and Secretary Charles Thompson signed the document adopted on July 4th. This original was sent to John Dunlap to be printed. Several copies were made, but the exact number is uncertain. 24 are known to exist. One of them was George Washington's own personal copy.

July 5th is when the first of the Dunlap prints of the document were dispatched to State legislatures.

July 6th brought the first newspaper printing of the document in the Pennsylvania Evening Post.

July 8th is said to have held the first public reading of the Declaration.

Pulling down King George's statue

July 9th George Washington has the Declaration read aloud to the army in New York. At this time, there was a large British force assembling against them. The reading so moved the men that some of them rushed down to the Bowling Green and slung ropes over the bronze statue of King George, pulled it down, and sent it off to be melted down and used to make bullets.

July 19th Congress gave the order for an official copy of the Declaration to be engrossed and signed by the members.

On this day 240 years ago, August 2nd, The delegates began to sign this glorified copy. 56 Congressional Delegates in total signed the Declaration of Independence, including the men not present for the vote. Most of them signed August 2nd. There were, however, a few delegates that refused to sign the Declaration. John Dickenson of PA and the three delegates from NY, Robert Livingston, John Jay, and James Duane.

August 10th News of the Declaration finally arrives in London. A newspaper reported a short blip from a letter from General Howe that was dated July 7th or 8th. “I am informed that the Continental Congress have declared the United Colonies free and independent States.”

Of course, in America, independence celebrations were short lived in 1776 because the army suffered a terrible defeat after the New York campaign...but that is the beginning of another story. 

Author of over half a dozen books, including Dawn of Liberty, Amber Schamel writes riveting stories that bring HIStory to life. She has a passion for travel, history, books and her Savior. This combination results in what her readers call "historical fiction at its finest".  She lives in Colorado and spends half her time volunteering in the Ozarks. Subscribe for exclusive content and newsletter updates at www.AmberSchamel.com/

Remember the 56: July 4 and the Signers of the Declaration of Independence

A footnote from history offered by Stephanie Grace Whitson, standing in for Debbie Lynne Costello.

Of those 56 who signed the Declaration of Independence:

• 9 died of wounds or hardships during the Revolutionary War
• 5 were captured and imprisoned (and experienced brutal treatment)
• Several lost wives, sons, or entire families
• 1 lost his 13 children
• 2 wives experienced brutal treatment
• ALL were at one time or another the object of manhunts and driven from their homes
• The homes of 12 were burned down
• 17 lost everything they owned

They had pledged lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor ... and many had to step up and deliver their lives and fortunes. But their honor ... keeping their word, they paid the price. We reap the harvest.

The reading of names is often part of memorial services. Seems to me we might want to read the names of these men as part of our July 4 celebrations. Saying them aloud could be a meaningful way to continue the legacy. 

DELAWARE: George Read, Ceasar Rodney, Thomas McKean

PENNSYLVANIA: George Clymer, Benjamin Franklin, Robert Morris, John Morton, Benjamin Rush, George Ross, James Smith, James Wilson, George Taylor.

RHODE ISLAND: Stephen Hopkins, William Ellery.

NEW HAMPSHIRE: Josiah Bartlett, William Whipple, Matthew Thornton.

NORTH CAROLINA: William Hooper, John Penn, Joseph Hewes

GEORGIA: Button Gwinnet, Lyman Hall, George Walton

MARYLAND: Charles Carroll, Samuel Chase, Thomas Stone, William Paca

VIRGINIA: Richard Henry Lee, Francis Lightfoot Lee, Carter Braxton, Benjamin Harrison, Thomas Jefferson, George Wythe, Thomas Nelson, Jr.

SOUTH CAROLINA: Edward Rutledge, Arthur Middleton, Thomas Lynch, Jr., Thomas Heyward, Jr.

NEW YORK: Lewis Morris, Philip Livingston, Francis Lewis, William Floyd

NEW JERSEY: Abraham Clark, John Hart, Francis Hopkinson, Richard Stockton, John Witherspoon

CONNECTICUT: Samuel Huntington, Roger Sherman, William Williams, Oliver Wolcott

MASSACHUSETTS: John Adams, Samuel Adams, John Hancock, Robert Treat Paine, Elbridge Gerry

And here's an idea for those of us who love history: Take a name ... and learn about that person. Learn about his wife, too ... for surely she bore part of the burden invited by her husband's signature on that document. 

Have you studied the lives of any of the signers of the Declaration of Independence? Did you have to memorize part of it in school? (I did.) 

God Bless America. Land that I love.

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Stephanie Grace Whitson celebrated her 20th anniversary as a published novelist in 2014. Her most recent book, Daughter of the Regiment, tells the story of two women caught up in the events of the Civil War--from opposite sides of the conflict. Learn more at www.stephaniewhitson.com.