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STATEMENT

Presidential message states Franklin signed both the Declaration and the Constitution (one of six people)

True

Evidence from credible sources supports the statement as accurate. Learn more in Methodology.

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Verified signatory lists for the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution show Franklin's signatures and confirm that exactly six individuals signed both documents.

Source summary
The White House issued a presidential message on January 17, 2026 marking what would have been Benjamin Franklin’s 320th birthday. The statement highlights Franklin’s roles as an inventor, publisher, diplomat, and public servant—crediting him with inventions (lightning rod, bifocals), civic institutions (public library, volunteer fire department), service as the first Postmaster General, and key roles in the founding era, including delegation to the Second Continental Congress, helping draft the Declaration of Independence, securing French support, and negotiating the 1783 Treaty of Paris.
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Latest fact check

Historical records show that only six delegates signed both the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. The National Constitution Center explicitly lists these men as George Clymer, Benjamin Franklin, Robert Morris, George Read, Roger Sherman, and James Wilson. The American Battlefield Trust and other reference works likewise state that exactly six men—including Benjamin Franklin—signed both founding documents. Therefore, the statement is accurate; the verdict is True because multiple independent historical references agree there were exactly six such signers and Franklin was one of them.

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Timeline

  1. Update · Jan 18, 2026, 03:18 AMTrue
    Historical records show that only six delegates signed both the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. The National Constitution Center explicitly lists these men as George Clymer, Benjamin Franklin, Robert Morris, George Read, Roger Sherman, and James Wilson. The American Battlefield Trust and other reference works likewise state that exactly six men—including Benjamin Franklin—signed both founding documents. Therefore, the statement is accurate; the verdict is True because multiple independent historical references agree there were exactly six such signers and Franklin was one of them.
  2. Original article · Jan 17, 2026
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