Edward Rutledge was the youngest person to sign the Declaration of Independence, a document celebrated in America250.
Rutledge was a South Carolina delegate and was 26 years old when he signed the Declaration. He came from a prominent Charleston family, trained as a lawyer in England, and entered revolutionary politics while still a young man.
His youth did not mean he lacked influence. Rutledge served on the Committee of Five that reviewed Thomas Jefferson’s draft, participated in congressional debates, and later held important state and national offices. He eventually became governor of South Carolina.
Some accounts instead identify Thomas Lynch Jr. or another youthful delegate because several signers were in their twenties. The key distinction is age at the time of signing: Rutledge was the youngest signer of the Declaration. He was not the youngest person involved in every revolutionary event, nor was he the youngest future U.S. president.