Fact or Fiction: The Constitution Was Signed By A Bunch Of Old White Men
civics ·Answer: Both
Yes, they were all caucasian males. While some may argue that that is part of their issue, it’s also a question for another day. Let’s get back to today’s question and talk about that ‘old’ part.
The average age, of those signing the Declaration of Independence, was 44, with more than a dozen being under the age of 35. The average age, of those signing the Constitution, was 42.
Some have said that 42 was “a ripe old age then, and many men did not make it past that age”. That’s not exactly true either. It is true that things like the (Revolutionary) War, disease, limited health care, etc did account for a shorter lifespan, in the latter half of the 18th century, than they do today. That said, the average age of the Founding Fathers at their death was 66, while man lived on much longer. Ben Franklin was in his 70’s when the Declaration was signed. He, Thomas Jefferson, and John Adams all lived to reach 80.