# Most Obscure Signers of The Declaration of Independence?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-obscure-signers-of-the-declaration-of-independence/398352>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 2, 2007, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-obscure-signers-of-the-declaration-of-independence/398352 "2007-04-02T00:09:45Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\
**Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-obscure-signers-of-the-declaration-of-independence/398352/1 "2007-04-02T00:09:45Z")

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I read that all of the signers were well known men of government and business (of their day). Certainly, people like John Hancock, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson are well-known today…but what of the obscure ones? Like Mr. Button Gwinnett-his signature is exceeningly rare-who was he? Who were the obscure signers, and why did they disappear from history (in the way that they did)? 😕

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**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\
**Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-obscure-signers-of-the-declaration-of-independence/398352/2 "2007-04-02T00:23:41Z")

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You can read about all of them here:

[http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/signers/index.htm](http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/signers/index.htm)

Button Gwinnett does sound like a big loser. Maybe he was someone else’s bitch.

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**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\
**Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-obscure-signers-of-the-declaration-of-independence/398352/3 "2007-04-02T00:24:52Z")

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There are lots of sites devoted to this question. [This one](http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/signers/index.htm), for instance.

ETA: Great minds, **Shag**. Great minds. 😃

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**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\
**Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-obscure-signers-of-the-declaration-of-independence/398352/4 "2007-04-02T01:06:17Z")

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**ralph**. You can read all about it at the cited sites. Closed.

**samclem** GQ moderator