Who was the youngest signer of the U.S. Constitution, signing at age 26 in 1787?

Jonathan Dayton was the youngest signer of the U.S. Constitution, signing at age 26 in 1787.

Dayton represented New Jersey at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. Born on October 16, 1760, he was 26 when he signed the Constitution on September 17, 1787. He had already served in the American Revolutionary War and later became a prominent national politician.

Dayton went on to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1791 to 1799 and was Speaker of the House during his final four years there. He later served as a U.S. senator from New Jersey from 1799 to 1805. The city of Dayton, Ohio, was named after him.

Dayton is sometimes confused with James Madison, who is often called the “Father of the Constitution” because of his major role in drafting and promoting it. Madison was one of the document’s most influential architects, but he was not its youngest signer. Benjamin Franklin, aged 81, was the oldest signer.