Charles Carroll was the only Roman Catholic to sign the Declaration of Independence.
He was the longest living signer of the Declaration.



On October 19, 1774, Charles Carroll helped set fire to the British ship Peggy Stewart, which was carrying tea into the Annapolis harbor.



"In 1776, American Independence was declared, and a revolution effected, not only in political affairs, but also in those relating to Religion.
For a while the thirteen provinces of North America rejected the yoke of England, they proclaimed, at the same time, freedom of conscience and the right of worshiping the Almighty, according to the spirit of the religion to which each one should belong ...

In all the others the laws against Catholics were in force.
Any priest coming from foreign parts, was subject to the penalty of death; all who professed the Catholic faith, were not merely excluded from offices of government, but hardly could be tolerated in a private capacity ..."
"By the Declaration of Independence, every difficulty was removed: the Catholics were placed on a level with their fellow-Christians, and every political disqualification was done away."
"To obtain religious as well as civil liberty I entered jealously into the Revolution, and observing the Christian religion divided into many sects, I founded the hope that no one would be so predominant as to become the religion of the State.
That hope was thus early entertained because all of them joined in the same cause, with few exceptions of individuals.
God grant that this religious liberty may be preserved in these States, to the end of time, and that all believing in the religion of Christ may practice the leading principle of charity, the basis of every virtue."



"When I signed the Declaration of Independence I had in view not only our independence from England but the toleration of all sects professing the Christian religion and communicating to them all great rights.
Happily this wise and salutary measure has taken place for eradicating religious feuds and persecution and become a useful lesson to all governments.
Reflecting, as you must, on the disabilities, I may truly say, of the proscription of the Roman Catholics in Maryland, you will not be surprised that I had much at heart, this grand design founded on mutual charity, the basis of our holy religion."
In 1789, after George Washington was elected the first President, Charles Carroll sent him a letter of congratulations, which was also signed by other Catholic leaders, namely Bishop John Carroll, Daniel Carroll, Thomas Fitzsimons of Philadelphia, and Dominick Lynch of New York:
"This prospect of national prosperity is peculiarly pleasing to us, on another account; because, whilst our country preserves her freedom and independence, we shall have a well founded title to claim from her justice, the equal rights of citizenship,
as the price of our blood spilt under your eyes, and of our common exertions for her defense, under your auspicious conduct - rights rendered more dear to us by remembrance of former hardships."


"I presume that your fellow-citizens will not forget the patriotic part which you took in the accomplishment of their Revolution, and the establishment of their government; or the important assistance which they received from a nation in which the Roman Catholic faith is professed.
I thank you, gentlemen, for your kind concern for me ...
And may the members of your society in America, animated alone by the pure spirit of Christianity, and still conducting themselves as the faithful subjects of our free government, enjoy every temporal and spiritual felicity. -G. Washington."
In France, Thomas Paine was arrested and almost executed. He became critical of President George Washington and fell out of favor.
When Thomas Paine wrote The Age of Reason, it was immediately condemned by Charles Carroll, John Adams, Samuel Adams, Benjamin Rush, John Witherspoon, Elias Boudinot, Patrick Henry, William Paterson, Zephaniah Swift, and John Jay.
Charles Carroll described Thomas Paine's The Age of Reason as:
"... blasphemous writings against the Christian religion."


"Why keep alive the question of slavery? It is admitted by all to be a great evil."

"On the mercy of my Redeemer I rely for salvation and on His merits not on the works I have done in obedience to His precepts."

"Grateful to Almighty God for the blessings which, through Jesus Christ Our Lord, He had conferred on my beloved country in her emancipation and on myself in permitting me, under circumstances of mercy, to live to the age of 89 years,
and to survive the fiftieth year of independence, adopted by Congress on the 4th of July 1776, which I originally subscribed on the 2d day of August of the same year and of which I am now the last surviving signer,
I do hereby recommend to the present and future generations the principles of that important document as the best earthly inheritance their ancestors could bequeath to them,
and pray that the civil and religious liberties they have secured to my country may be perpetuated to remotest posterity and extended to the whole family of man."

"I, Charles Carroll ... give and bequeath my soul to God who gave it, my body to the earth, hoping that through and by the merits, sufferings, and mediation of my only Savior and Jesus Christ, I may be admitted into the Kingdom prepared by God for those who love, fear and truly serve Him."







"Without morals a republic cannot subsist any length of time ...
They therefore who are decrying the Christian religion, whose morality is so sublime and pure and which insures to the good eternal happiness, are undermining the solid foundation of morals, the best security for the duration of free governments."
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A very informative presentation of Mr. Carroll!! We are most fortunate to have had him as one of our Founding Fathers!!