Which signer was the oldest person to sign the Declaration of Independence?

Benjamin Franklin was the oldest person to sign the Declaration of Independence.

Franklin was 70 years old in 1776, making him the oldest of the Declaration’s signers. He represented Pennsylvania in the Second Continental Congress and was also a scientist, inventor, publisher, diplomat, and statesman.

Franklin served on the Committee of Five that presented the draft Declaration to Congress, although Thomas Jefferson wrote the principal draft. Franklin’s reputation and diplomatic experience made him one of the most prominent American representatives during the independence movement.

The youngest signer was Edward Rutledge of South Carolina, who was 26. The contrast between Franklin’s age and Rutledge’s youth illustrates the broad age range among the delegates. John Hancock’s large signature is more famous, but Hancock was not the oldest signer.