MA Founding Legacies.
Massachusetts's Revolutionary Figures: The Burial Sites of Key Declaration of Independence Signers.
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As the United States marks the 250th anniversary of its founding this July 4, Massachusetts stands out as the birthplace of American independence. The state sent five men to sign the Declaration of Independence in 1776 — and their graves are scattered from Boston's oldest burying grounds to the nation's capital. South Coast Today reported on where each of these founders rests today.
The five Massachusetts signers were John Hancock, John Adams, Samuel Adams, Robert Treat Paine, and Elbridge Gerry. Together, they made up about 9% of all 56 signers, according to the National Archives. Their burial sites have become key stops on the nation's historical tourism trail as America250 celebrations ramp up.
Three Founders Share One Boston Burial Ground
The Granary Burying Ground in Boston holds three of the five signers. John Hancock, Samuel Adams, and Robert Treat Paine are all buried there. Hancock, the president of the Continental Congress and the first to sign the Declaration, died on October 8, 1793, at age 56. Samuel Adams — a leader of the Sons of Liberty and organizer of the Boston Tea Party — died on October 2, 1803, at age 81. Paine, Massachusetts' first Attorney General, died on May 11, 1814, at age 83.
The Granary is one of Boston's most visited historical sites. It draws over 1 million visitors each year, according to the Boston Freedom Trail Foundation. As part of the famous Freedom Trail walking route, the cemetery contributes to more than $1 billion in annual tourism revenue for the city.
John Adams Rests in a Church Presidential Crypt
John Adams is buried roughly 10 miles south of Boston in Quincy, Massachusetts. His tomb sits in a family crypt beneath United First Parish Church, known as the "Church of the Presidents." It is the only site in America where two presidents are buried side by side in a church — John Adams and his son, John Quincy Adams, the sixth president. John Adams died on July 4, 1826 — the exact 50th anniversary of the Declaration — at age 90.
Biographer David McCullough wrote that while Thomas Jefferson drafted the Declaration, it was Adams who pushed it through Congress with "power and persistence," according to Simon & Schuster. Adams himself wrote to his wife Abigail on July 3, 1776, predicting the day would be "celebrated by succeeding generations" — a prediction that proved correct 250 years later.
Elbridge Gerry Buried 440 Miles Away in Washington
Elbridge Gerry is the only Massachusetts signer not buried in his home state. He died on November 23, 1814, while serving as Vice President of the United States — the only Massachusetts signer to die in office at the federal level. He is buried at Congressional Cemetery in Washington, D.C., roughly 440 miles from his fellow signers in Boston, according to the U.S. Senate Historical Office.
Gerry is remembered for two things: signing the Declaration, and the political practice now called "gerrymandering." When he was governor of Massachusetts, he approved a weirdly shaped voting district to help his party. Newspapers combined his name with the word "salamander" to coin the term. He was also one of only three delegates who refused to sign the U.S. Constitution, because it lacked a Bill of Rights, according to the National Constitution Center.
Burial Sites Draw Growing Crowds for America250
With July 4, 2026 marking the nation's 250th birthday, these burial sites are drawing more attention than ever. Officials expect a 25–40% increase in visitor traffic to Boston's Freedom Trail, according to the Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau. The U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission — the group planning America250 events — has named historic sites like the Granary Burying Ground as key stops for civic education programs nationwide.
The five men died at very different ages: John Adams lived to 90, while Hancock died at just 56. Their graves stretch from a church crypt in Quincy to a congressional monument in D.C. But all five names appear on the same founding document — the one that, 250 years ago, declared a new nation into existence, according to Wicked Local.
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