FW: fourscore...

[James A. Landau]

In a message dated 3/6/2003 8:38:49 AM Eastern Standard Time,
jsmithjamessmith at YAHOO.COM writes:

> I recall being told that the average age at death for
> the men who signed the Declaration of Independence was
> over 80. I've never checked this out for myself, but
> it should be fairly easy to confirm or disprove.

I don't have a list of the signers handy but here are a few statistics:

The first signer to die was Button Gwinnet, age around 41 in 1776.  He died
in a duel on July 4, 1777, one of three signers to die on July 4.

The last survivor was Charles Carroll of Carrollton, who lived to dig the
ceremonial first shovel of dirt on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (which he
stated was equal in importance to the Declaration---and he was proved to be
right!)  He was 39 in 1776 and died at age 95.

Benjamin Franklin was 70 at the signing---perhaps the oldest signer---and
lived to be 84.

In 1776 John Hancock was 39, Jefferson was 33, Madison was 25, Patrick Henry
was 40, Tom Paine was 39, John Adams was 41, and Samuel Adams ("the most
dangerous nut in the Colonies" according to my 10th grade history teacher)
was a relatively elderly 54.

                   - Jim Landau (both too old and too young to be a Signer)