William Hooper was an American lawyer and politician who signed the Declaration of Independence as a representative of North Carolina. Born in Boston on June 28, 1742, he moved to North Carolina to practice law and became active in colonial politics. Hooper strongly supported independence from Britain and served in the Continental Congress. After signing the Declaration in 1776, he returned to North Carolina to continue his political work. His property was damaged during the Revolutionary War, and his health declined in later years. He died in 1790, remembered as a dedicated patriot and Founding Father.