Celebrate the Fourth of July With the Men Who Made It A Reality

This Fourth of the July spend some time reading about the fifty six men who made it possible, the signers of the Declaration of Independence. Here is a copy of the text.

The document was approved on July 4, 1776, but the signing is believed to have taken place in August. Learn about each of the signers in The Signers: The Fifty Six Stories Behind the Declaration of Independence.

Signers

His signature is the biggest (five inches), supposedly so King George III could see it without his glasses- John Hancock! His signature has become so famous it has become a synonym for "signature." See it here.

Long before he became the namesake of a highway and a school district, Long Island’s own William Floyd was a New York delegate and a general in the Revolutionary War. You can visit his estate. Read about him here: A Portrait of William Floyd, Long Islander by William Q. Maxwell.

Another Long Island signer was Francis Lewis, who had a home in what is now Queens. His home was destroyed by British soldiers, and his wife was taken captive by the British. Like William Floyd, he has a highway and a school named for him as well.

They are perhaps the most famous of the signers, and their fame continued long after the Declaration was signed: John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin. Read about these men and their incredible lives:

McCullough, David G. John Adams.

The book was adapted into the film version starring Paul Giamatti as John Adams.

Isaacson, Walter. Benjamin Franklin: An American Life

Hitchens, Christopher. Thomas Jefferson: Author of America

All 56 of the signers, famous or nearly forgotten today, were brave men to whom we owe much.

It would not be the 4th of July without my personal favorite, the musical 1776 which sees the Declaration written and signed in song!

Best wishes for a Happy Indepence Day from the Port Jefferson Free Library!