Simplify the following text for a Grade 8 native English-speaking person.
Original: James Wilson ( 1742 -- 1798 ) was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States and a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence .
Simplified: James Wilson ( September 14 , 1742 -- August 21 , 1798 ) was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States . He was a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence .