CONCORD, N.H. - It's William Whipple's turn to be recognized.
The New Hampshire merchant is one of the lesser-known signers of the Declaration of Independence. This year, there are plans for Whipple and 11 others to be honored for their place in history with a small bronze plaque at their gravesites or homes, thanks to a group of descendants of the Founding Fathers.
Whipple, one of three men from New Hampshire who signed the famous document - the others were Josiah Bartlett and Matthew Thornton - had no direct descendants. His only child, a boy, died as an infant and is buried near him in Portsmouth. Whipple, who also commanded troops during the Revolutionary War and served as a state judge and legislator, died in 1785 at age 55.
It's about time he was honored, said Blaine Whipple in Portland, Ore., a distant relative who has researched and published several volumes on 15 generations of the Whipple family in America.
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"He was one of the workhorses of the Continental Congress," Whipple said. "He's never been given the credits that he earned." Whipple was chairman of the marine, foreign relations and quartermaster committees and served on another committee that gathered intelligence on the British.
Whipple's gravesite mentions he was a member of the Continental Congress when America declared its freedom from Great Britain, but doesn't spell out his famous moment in time. The 104-year-old Society of the Descendants of the Declaration of Independence wants to change that for Whipple and the other signers, "to honor their memory and their great deed."
"We try to do as many as we can, but it's a long process," said Grace Staller of West Chester, Pa., who heads the project for the nonprofit group. She's a ninth-generation descendant of signer John Hart from New Jersey.
By the numbers
On this day in 1776, the Declaration of Independence was approved by the Continental Congress, setting the 13 colonies on the road to freedom. Here are some other July 4 numbers:
• 2.5 million - Estimated number of people living in our newly independent nation in July 1776.
• 311.7 million - Current estimated population.
• $3.2 million - Amount spent last year for U.S. imports of American flags, most of which ($2.8 million worth) were made in China.
• $486,026 - Dollar value of U.S. flags exported last year, with Mexico purchasing more than 50 percent.
• $190.7 million - Value of fireworks imported from China in 2010, representing the bulk of all U.S. fireworks imported ($197.3 million).
SOURCE: U.S. Census Bureau
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