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Independence Day
Notaries: America's 250 - Independence DayPublished July 4, 2026
America's Independence Day occurs just once per year, but the impact of the notaries public who played crucial roles in the run-up to the birth of our nation is enjoyed daily by all citizens of this great land.
The brave, forward-focused acts of certain U.S. notaries supported and advanced colonial America's determined march to freedom from British rule.
Did you know:
> In 1765, Delaware delegate, Founding Father, Declaration of Independence signer and notary public Thomas McKean boldly protested the British Stamp Act. He did so, in part, because it taxed notarial acts. McKean believed that notaries were public officers and that their acts should be accessible--i.e., affordable--to all as an essential public service.
> Not only was Thomas McKean both a notary and a signer of the Declaration of Independence, but so was Nathaniel Gorham. Gorham served as President of the Continental Congress from 1786-1787, a time in which he substantially helped shape the U.S. Constitution. Gorham later successfully campaigned for the Massachusetts convention's ratification of the Constitution. With partner Oliver Phelps, Gorham made a "colossal" six-million-acre land acquisition that when developed, reshaped the state's western regions.
> War is expensive. The colonists' efforts were supported by private citizens such as notary public and financier Robert Morris. One of the wealthiest men in the Colonies due to his skills as a merchant, shipping magnate and financier, Morris is viewed as the U.S.'s first treasury secretary. He modernized how government contracting was transacted with the private sector and also established the Bank of North America, which eventually was absorbed into Wells Fargo. Morris also holds the distinction of being among the few persons who signed all three of America's founding documents.
Today, America's notaries continue to support the U.S. public and state/federal government in countless ways. As officers of their commissioning jurisdictions, notaries perform highly responsible acts primarily for the execution (signing) of documents. By notarizing signatures and performing the steps and assessments that assure the notary they may lawfully proceed, America's notaries public provide very specific assurances about document signings and other notarial acts.
The assurances of notarization have been provided for almost four centuries... a resounding endorsement of notaries' enduring relevance and value.
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