Long before there were politicians (of any like), there were merchants, lawyers, farmers, and other entrepreneurs who got together in Philadelphia 241 years ago to sign the Declaration of Independence and start the revolution. These men, most of who could be viewed as small business owners, risked it all:
“We mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.”
Here’s a list from the National Archives of the signers and their occupations to remind us that our businesses, our jobs, and our lives can be on the line when freedom is at stake.
| Signers | Occupation |
| John Adams | Lawyer |
| Samuel Adams | Merchant |
| Josiah Bartlett | Physician |
| Charles Carroll | Merchant, plantation owner |
| Samuel Chase | Lawyer |
| Abraham Clark | Lawyer, surveyor |
| George Clymer | Merchant |
| William Ellery | Lawyer, merchant |
| William Floyd | Land speculator |
| Benjamin Franklin | Scientist, printer |
| Elbridge Gerry | Merchant |
| Button Gwinnett | Merchant, plantation owner |
| Lyman Hall | Physician, minister |
| John Hancock | Merchant |
| Benjamin Harrison | Plantation owner, farmer |
| John Hart | Land owner |
| Joseph Hewes | Merchant |
| Thomas Heyward Jr. | Lawyer, plantation owner |
| William Hooper | Lawyer |
| Stephen Hopkins | Merchant |
| Francis Hopkinson | Lawyer, musician |
| Samuel Huntington | Lawyer |
| Thomas Jefferson | Lawyer, plantation owner, scientist |
| Francis Lightfoot Lee | Plantation owner |
| Richard Henry Lee | Plantation owner, merchant |
| Francis Lewis | Merchant |
| Philip Livingston | Merchant |
| Thomas Lynch Jr. | Lawyer |
| Arthur Middleton | Plantation owner |
| Lewis Morris | Plantation owner |
| Robert Morris | Merchant, land surveyor |
| John Morton | Farmer |
| Thomas Nelson Jr. | Merchant, plantation owner |
| William Paca | Lawyer, plantation owner |
| Robert Treat Paine | Lawyer, scientist |
| John Penn | Lawyer |
| George Read | Lawyer |
| Caesar Rodney | Plantation owner, military officer |
| George Ross | Lawyer |
| Dr. Benjamin Rush | Physician |
| Edward Rutledge | Lawyer, plantation owner |
| Roger Sherman | Lawyer |
| James Smith | Lawyer |
| Richard Stockton | Lawyer |
| Thomas Stone | Lawyer |
| George Taylor | Merchant |
| Matthew Thornton | Physician |
| George Walton | Lawyer |
| John Witherspoon | Minister |
| Oliver Wolcott | Lawyer |
| George Wythe | Lawyer |
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.”
Happy 4th to all!
Note: I wrote about this two years ago, and I wanted once again to recognize these great men on this great day.
