Died: November 14, 1832 Number of Children. Mary Katharine Goddard, the Woman who Signed the Declaration of Independence Likely the United States’ first woman employee, this newspaper publisher was a … Adams, John. The Declaration of Independence was approved by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, but it was not signed until almost a month later. To learn more, see The Charters of Freedom and 100 Milestone Documents sites from the National Archives ; Who Was the First to Sign the Declaration of Independence . But a deformity may have contributed to Caesar Rodney's lack of fame. The Declaration of Independence is on public display in the Rotunda of the National Archives in Washington, DC. Member of first Maryland Committee of Safety, Provincial Congress, 1775; Delayed member of Continental Congress, August, 1776, Signed Declaration of Independence; Appointed to board of War, 1776; Elected to Senate of Maryland, 1781; Elected U.S. Date of Birth. The last person to sign the document was Thomas Kean of Delaware, and it is believed he signed after January 1777. Who was the first to sign the U.S. John Adams was one of them. Answers: 3 to question: Who was the first person to sign the Declaration of Independence? With its soaring rhetoric about all men being “created equal,” the Declaration of Independence gave powerful voice to the values behind the American Revolution. In fact, going alphabetically, he was the first (though in actuality it was John Hancock who made the first, famously large and elaborate signature). MA. Critics, however, saw a … Name. 10/30/1735 Age at Death. Hancock became the first representative to sign the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, a document which maintained that the thirteen American states were free of British rule. State Rep. A copy of the Declaration, signed by the founders, sits in the Massachusetts Archives and Commonwealth Museum. He signed the Declaration of Independence and went on his own (not-so-famous) midnight ride. Date of Death. Each signer had a unique and interesting background. On July 19, Congress ordered that an official copy of the document be created. Number of Marriages. Declaration of Independence On July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence. The Congress did not have the approval of all 13 colonies until July 9, 1776. Age in 1776. Senator from Maryland, 1788, returned to Maryland Senate 1789-'99. ... for 14 years and can technically be considered the first … There were fifty-six men who signed the most famous founding document of our country–the Declaration of Independence. Occupation. Birthplace. The document was engrossed on parchment and, one by one, 56 representatives from all 13 colonies signed it. As the President of the Continental Congress, John Hancock of Massachusetts was the first person to sign the Declaration of Independence on Aug. 2, 1776. Declaration of Independence?