Which signer was the only Roman Catholic among the signers of the United States Declaration of Independence?

Charles Carroll of Carrollton was the only Roman Catholic among the signers of the United States Declaration of Independence.

Carroll represented Maryland and was one of the wealthiest landowners in the colonies. His Catholic faith was significant because Maryland and other colonies had maintained legal restrictions on Catholics, even though religious toleration expanded during the revolutionary era. Carroll joined the Continental Congress in 1776 and signed the Declaration later that year.

He signed together with other Maryland delegates, including Samuel Chase, William Paca, and Thomas Stone. The name Charles Carroll of Carrollton distinguished him from other men named Charles Carroll in Maryland political life. He lived until 1832 and was the last surviving signer of the Declaration.

John Carroll, sometimes confused with him, was Charles's cousin and later became the first Roman Catholic bishop in the United States, but he did not sign the Declaration. George Read and Thomas McKean were Delaware signers, not Maryland's Catholic signer. Carroll's religious identity adds another dimension to the diverse group represented in the America250 story.