Edward Rutledge was the youngest signer of the Declaration of Independence at age 26, a document central to America250.
Rutledge was a delegate from South Carolina and one of the 56 people whose names appear on the engrossed parchment. Born in 1749, he was 26 when he signed in 1776. He was also a member of the five-person committee that helped Congress manage the Declaration's preparation and presentation.
His youth contrasts with Benjamin Franklin, who was the oldest signer at age 70. John Hancock's oversized signature is the most famous visually, while Thomas Jefferson is best known as the principal author of the first draft. These different roles are why the youngest signer is not necessarily the document's writer or most prominent name.
Rutledge later served South Carolina as governor and was involved in state and national politics. His career illustrates that the revolutionary generation included both older statesmen and comparatively young political leaders.