A NEW RTÉ documentary tracing the Ulster-Scots origins of one of the signers of the American Declaration of Independence is set to air later this month.
Freedom Founder: Thomas McKean and the American Revolution, presented by former US diplomat David McKean, tells the story of Thomas McKean, the last man to sign the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.
Thomas McKean’s family were Scottish Presbyterians who came to Ireland from Scotland to escape the penal laws, settling in County Antrim before emigrating to the American colonies. He went on to become a central figure in the American Revolution.
In the programme, David McKean, a direct descendant of Thomas, retraces his ancestor’s footsteps across Ireland, Delaware and Philadelphia in a journey of personal and historical discovery.
The documentary marks the 250th anniversary of the American Declaration of Independence and is supported by Northern Ireland Screen’s Ulster-Scots Broadcast Fund.
Freedom Founder airs on Monday, June 29, at 9.35pm on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player.
Chief Justice Thomas McKean and His Son, Thomas McKean, Jr.