The claim that every signatory to the Declaration of Independence had a seminary degree except for Benjamin Franklin is not accurate. While it is true that many of the signatories were highly educated and some had religious education or seminary degrees, not all of them did. The backgrounds of the signatories were diverse, encompassing a range of professions including lawyers, planters, merchants, and public officials.
Benjamin Franklin himself was a noted polymath with vast interests and self-taught expertise in a variety of fields, including science, diplomacy, and printing, rather than formal seminary education. Many of the other signatories had legal training or attended colleges that offered a classical education, which at the time could include some religious studies but was not necessarily focused on theology to the extent implied by holding a seminary degree.
For instance, some signatories, like John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison, were educated at institutions such as Harvard or the College of William & Mary, where they studied law, philosophy, and the sciences. These educational backgrounds were typical for many of the signatories, reflecting the broad intellectual pursuits of the era rather than a singular focus on theological education.
It's important to understand the context of 18th-century education, where the line between secular and religious studies was not as sharply defined as it might be today, and attending a college often meant receiving some form of religious instruction. However, the claim overstates the case by implying that all but one signatory had formal seminary training.
Thanks Chat.