Descendants of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence

Is there a family legend that you are descended from one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence? Do you share a surname with one of the signers? Here's your chance to find out. Today's free genealogy resources are on the men who signed the Declaration of Independence and their descendants.

Descendants of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence is a society for individuals who can prove a direct lineal relationship to one of the men that signed one of the most important documents in American history. Clicking on signers takes you to a page that lists all of the signers. Most of the names are hyperlinked to a biography of the individual, which includes the names of their children. Some of the biographies also offer information on the ancestors of the signer, another nice genealogical find.

The LDS Family History Library has more complete data on these men's descendants. It is available on microfilm. In some cases, the descendants are listed up to 1900. Microfilms can be requested at your local Family History Center. You can find the microfilm number by searching the catalog or in this Genealogy Magazine article.

The book, Descendants of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence, can be found in a number of libraries around the country. Chances are, if your local library doesn't have it in stock, it can probably be requested through inter-library loan. You can use WorldCat to find which libraries have the book.

Happy 4th of July everyone!