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Virginia's Famous Signers

" . . . we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor."

In the crucial decade before the American Revolution, Williamsburg was a training ground for a remarkable body of men. When it became clear that war with Great Britain could not be avoided, George Wythe, Richard Henry Lee, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Harrison, Thomas Nelson, Francis Lightfoot Lee, and Carter Braxton met in Philadelphia with representatives from other colonies to declare independence from the mother country. On July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress formally adopted the Declaration of Independence and took the first momentous step toward establishing a new nation.

Virginian Signers of the Declaration of Independence

George Washington did not sign the Declaration of Independence because in July 1776 he was in New York preparing to defend Manhattan against the British.

George Washington's Signature

Multimedia and related links

  • podcasts

  • Podcasts

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  • We hold these truths

    Hear the words that started a war, read by Thomas Jefferson interpreter Bill Barker. Episode one of July's Revolutionary Documents series. June 30, 2008

    Audio podcast: Listen (mp3) | Transcript
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  • Prelude to Victory

    "Prelude to Victory" celebrates the anniversary of the Battle of Yorktown with three days of special programs that recall September 26, 27, and 28, 1781. September 24, 2007

    Audio podcast: Listen (mp3) | Transcript
    Image enhanced: View (m4a) | Transcript

  • Fashion and Function

    A corset's engineered strictness defines the shape of the 18th-century woman. Journeywoman Brooke Welborn explains the trend. May 5, 2008

    Audio podcast: Listen (mp3) | Transcript
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  • Researching Revolutionary Citizens

    Actor-interpreter Corinne Dame talks about the continual research necessary to give a living and accurate portrayal of Williamsburg's 18th-century citizens. September 18, 2006

    Audio podcast: Listen (mp3) | Transcript
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  • The Gunpowder Plot

    Add your shouts to the clamor for revolution in Colonial Williamsburg's evening program, "The Gunpowder Plot." Author Gina DeAngelis explains. September 17, 2007

    Audio podcast: Listen (mp3) | Transcript
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  • Emissaries of Peace

    Adept negotiators in pursuit of peace, the Cherokee tribe endures through centuries of change. Colonial Williamsburg director and producer Linda Randulfe talks about the November 8 Electronic Field Trip, "Emissaries of Peace." November 5, 2007

    Audio podcast: Listen (mp3) | Transcript
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