<Tr> <Td> Conclusion <P> The signers assert that there exist conditions under which people must change their government, that the British have produced such conditions and, by necessity, the colonies must throw off political ties with the British Crown and become independent states . The conclusion contains, at its core, the Lee Resolution that had been passed on July 2 . </P> </Td> <Td> <P> "We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these united Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do . And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor ." </P> </Td> </Tr> <P> The signers assert that there exist conditions under which people must change their government, that the British have produced such conditions and, by necessity, the colonies must throw off political ties with the British Crown and become independent states . The conclusion contains, at its core, the Lee Resolution that had been passed on July 2 . </P> <P> "We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these united Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do . And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor ." </P> <Tr> <Td> Signatures <P> The first and most famous signature on the engrossed copy was that of John Hancock, President of the Continental Congress . Two future presidents (Thomas Jefferson and John Adams) and a father and great - grandfather of two other presidents (Benjamin Harrison) were among the signatories . Edward Rutledge (age 26) was the youngest signer, and Benjamin Franklin (age 70) was the oldest signer . The fifty - six signers of the Declaration represented the new states as follows (from north to south): </P> </Td> <Td> <Ul> <Li> New Hampshire: Josiah Bartlett, William Whipple, Matthew Thornton </Li> <Li> Massachusetts: Samuel Adams, John Adams, John Hancock, Robert Treat Paine, Elbridge Gerry </Li> <Li> Rhode Island: Stephen Hopkins, William Ellery </Li> <Li> Connecticut: Roger Sherman, Samuel Huntington, William Williams, Oliver Wolcott </Li> <Li> New York: William Floyd, Philip Livingston, Francis Lewis, Lewis Morris </Li> <Li> New Jersey: Richard Stockton, John Witherspoon, Francis Hopkinson, John Hart, Abraham Clark </Li> <Li> Pennsylvania: Robert Morris, Benjamin Rush, Benjamin Franklin, John Morton, George Clymer, James Smith, George Taylor, James Wilson, George Ross </Li> <Li> Delaware: George Read, Caesar Rodney, Thomas McKean </Li> <Li> Maryland: Samuel Chase, William Paca, Thomas Stone, Charles Carroll of Carrollton </Li> <Li> Virginia: George Wythe, Richard Henry Lee, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Harrison, Thomas Nelson Jr., Francis Lightfoot Lee, Carter Braxton </Li> <Li> North Carolina: William Hooper, Joseph Hewes, John Penn </Li> <Li> South Carolina: Edward Rutledge, Thomas Heyward Jr., Thomas Lynch Jr., Arthur Middleton </Li> <Li> Georgia: Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall, George Walton </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr>

Why did we declare independence from great britain