Life Span of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence Compared to Current Life Expectancy
Sep 15, 2023
Fifty-seven men signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776. Their average age was 44. They lived on average for an additional 21 years, to an average age of 66. If they were living in the U.S. today, about 250 years later, their additional life expectancy life would be 33 years and they could expect to live to age 77.
That is quite a substantial difference — middle-aged men today live approximately 50% longer than the Signers. If the same ratios hold true for total life expectancy, then life expectancy in the late 1700s would have been about two-thirds of life expectancy today. That number is 73 today so it would have been about 49 then.
