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All of the states were represented in
Congress when the signing of the Articles of Confederation took
place, although never present at the same time. Sixteen of
the individuals who signed the Articles of Confederation also signed
the Declaration of Independence. Congress approved the Articles
of Confederation in 1777, and a copy was sent to each of the thirteen
states for ratification. The first signing began on July
9, 1778 with delegates from New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode
Island, Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia and South
Carolina involved in the process. The delegates from New
Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland could not sign because their respective
states had not yet ratified the Articles, and the delegates from
North Carolina and Georgia were not present on that day. Additional
signings occurred when more delegates were in attendance. John
Penn was the first of the North Carolina delegation to sign the
document on July 10, and the rest of his delegation signed on July
21, 1778. John Wentworth of New Hampshire signed on August
8, 1778. Georgia signed on July 24, New Jersey on November
26, and Delaware on February 12, 1779. It wasn’t until
Maryland signed that the Articles of Confederation (our first constitution)
became the law of the land. Due to a conflict over the control
of western lands, Maryland was the last state to ratify on March
1, 1781.
By the time the Articles became official many of
the individuals who were involved in its original creation were no longer delegates,
and some of the delegates who signed were not involved in the initial debates. The
following information includes short biographies of each of the signers of
the Articles of Confederation.
Connecticut
Samuel Huntington (1731-1796)—Samuel
Huntington was a self-made man who distinguished himself in government
on the state and national levels. He served in Congress from 1779-1781
and presided over the adoption of the Articles of Confederation
in 1781. He returned to Connecticut and was the Chief Justice
of the Superior Court in 1784, Lieutenant Governor in 1785 and
Governor from 1786-1796. He was one of the first seven presidential
electors from Connecticut.
Roger Sherman (1723-1793)—Roger
Sherman was a member of the Committee of Five that was chosen to
write the Declaration of Independence. He and Robert Morris
were the only individuals to sign the Declaration of Independence,
the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution. He
was the Judge of the Superior Court of Connecticut from 1766-1789,
a member of the Continental Congress from 1774-81; 1783-84 and
a delegate to the Constitutional Convention in 1787. Sherman
proposed the famed “Connecticut Compromise” at the
convention and represented Connecticut in the United States Senate
from 1791-93.
Oliver Wolcott (1726-1797)—Oliver
Wolcott was as much a soldier as he was a politician and served
as a Brigadier General in the New York campaigns from 1776-1777. As
a Major General, he was involved in defending the Connecticut coast
from attacks by the Royal Governor of New York. He was Commissioner
of Indian Affairs in 1775 and from 1784-89, a delegate to the Continental
Congress from 1775-76 and 1778-84, Lieutenant Governor of Connecticut
from 1786-96 and Governor from 1796-97.
Titus Hosmer (1736-1780)—Titus
Hosmer’s grandfather, Colonel Thomas Titus, of Hawkhurst,
England, was a member of Oliver Cromwell’s army and settled
in Boston, Massachusetts in the latter half of the seventeenth
century. Hosmer graduated from Yale in 1757 and practiced
law in Middletown, Connecticut. He was a member of the Connecticut
State House of Representatives from 1773-1778 and was elected to
Congress in 1778. After leaving Congress, he became a judge
of the maritime court of appeals and resumed his law practice.
Andrew Adams (1736-1797)—Andrew
Adams graduated from Yale College and began a law practice in Litchfield,
Connecticut. He was elected to Congress in 1776, and was
highly respected for being a statesman and a patriot. He
was appointed Judge of the Supreme Court of Massachusetts in 1789
and Chief Justice of the State of Connecticut in 1793. He
served in that position until his death in 1797.
Delaware
Thomas McKean (1734-1817)—Thomas
McKean was the last member of the Second Continental Congress to
sign the Declaration of Independence. He was a delegate to
the Continental Congress from 1774-81 and served as a delegate
to the Congress of the Confederation from 1781-1783. After
1783, McKean became involved in the politics of Pennsylvania and
became the Chief Justice of Pennsylvania and the Governor of Pennsylvania
from 1799-1812. He retired from politics in 1812 and died
at the age of 83 in 1817.
John Dickinson (1732-1808)—John
Dickinson was born in Maryland in 1732 and was educated in Delaware. He
served the colonies of Pennsylvania and Delaware during his distinguished
career. Dickinson represented Pennsylvania in Congress from
1774-1776 and began representing Delaware in 1779. He served
as a Brigadier General of the Pennsylvania militia and was the
President of the State of Delaware in 1781. Upon his return
to Philadelphia, Dickinson served as President of Pennsylvania
from 1782-1785. He was a member of the delegation to the
Constitutional Convention in 1787 that met originally to revise
or change the Articles of Confederation.
Nicholas Van Dyke
(1738-1789)—Nicholas Van Dyke studied
law in Philadelphia, was admitted to the bar in 1765 and practiced
law in New Castle, Pennsylvania. He was active in both
the military and political affairs of the colonies. He
reached the rank of Major in the militia and was a member of
the Continental Congress from 1777-1781. Van Dyke also
served as President of Delaware from 1783-1786.
Georgia
John Walton (1738-1783)—John
Walton was born in Virginia and became a planter in Augusta, Georgia. He
was initially involved in Georgia state politics and was eventually
elected to the Continental Congress in 1778. He then became
the official surveyor of Richmond County. John Walton was
the brother of George Walton, a signer of the Declaration of Independence.
Edward Telfair (1735-1807)—Edward
Telfair was born in Scotland and became a successful politician
and businessman in Virginia, North Carolina and eventually Georgia. He
became one of the earliest supporters of the Revolutionary War,
and was a member of the “sons of liberty” in Savannah,
Georgia. He was elected to Congress in 1780, 1781 and 1782
and elected Governor of Georgia in 1786 and 1790.
Edward Langworthy
(1738-1802)—Edward Langworthy was a
well-known teacher, politician and writer. Early in his
career Langworthy was an instructor at the Bethesda Orphan
House and became involved in state politics in 1775. He
served as a member of the Continental Congress from 1777-1779
and was later involved in the newspaper business. Langworthy
moved to Baltimore where he taught the classics at the Baltimore
Academy from 1787-1791. He also worked in the customs
house until his death in 1802.
Maryland
John Hanson (1715-1783)—John
Hanson was a member of the Maryland State House for nine terms
and a member of the Continental Congress from 1780-1782. While
in Congress he helped to settle the western land issue, which facilitated
the ratification of the Articles of Confederation. John Hanson
was the first president appointed by Congress under the Articles
of Confederation and served from November 5, 1781 to November 4,
1782. During Hanson’s one year in office, he approved the
Great Seal of the United States that is still used today, gave
orders to the military forces toward the end of the American Revolution,
officially “received” General George Washington after
the American victory at Yorktown, helped establish the first U.S.
Treasury Department, the first Secretary of War, and the first
Foreign Affairs Department. While in office he also signed
all laws, regulations, official papers, and letters associated
with his position.
Daniel Carroll (1730-1796)—Daniel
Carroll was a member of the Continental Congress from 1781-1783
and was appointed as a delegate to represent Maryland at the Constitutional
Convention in 1787. He was later elected to the state senate
of Maryland and served in the first United States Congress from
1789-1791. He was appointed by President George Washington
to serve on a council to locate the District of Columbia and the
Federal City.
Massachusetts
John Hancock (1737-1793)—John
Hancock was the President of the Second Continental Congress when
the Declaration of Independence was adopted. He, along with
Samuel Adams, was on of the two most wanted men in the colonies
by King George III. He served as a major general during the
Revolutionary War. Hancock was elected Governor of Massachusetts
from 1780-1785 and 1787 until his death in 1793. He was the
seventh President of the United States in Congress assembled, from
November 23, 1785 to June 6, 1786. John Hancock was one of
the original “fathers” of U.S. independence.
Samuel Adams (1722-1803)—Samuel
Adams was known as the “Firebrand of the Revolution” for
his role as an agitator between the colonists and the British prior
to the outbreak of hostilities in April 1775. He served in
the Continental Congress until 1781, and was a member of the Massachusetts
State Senate from 1781-1788. Because he was opposed to a
stronger national government, Adams refused to attend the Federal
Constitutional Convention in 1787. He served as Lieutenant
Governor of Massachusetts from 1789-1793 and Governor from 1794-1797.
Elbridge Gerry (1744-1814)—Elbridge
Gerry served for a time as a member of the state legislature of
Massachusetts. Although he attended the meetings in Philadelphia
to write a new Constitution, he was opposed to it because it lacked
a bill of rights. However, after a “change of
heart,” he was a member of the House of Representatives for
the first two Congresses from 1789-1793. He was Governor
of Massachusetts in 1810 and 1811 and died in office as Vice-President
under James Madison in 1814.
Francis Dana (1743-1811)—Francis
Dana graduated from Harvard College in 1762, and upon being admitted
to the bar spent a year in England. He was elected to the
Continental Congress in 1776 and served until 1779. He was
appointed minister to Prussia in 1780 and held that position until
1784. He was then reelected to Congress. Dana was appointed
chief justice of Massachusetts in 1791 until he resigned in 1806. He
was a founder of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He
died in Cambridge, Middlesex County, Massachusetts on April 25,
1811 and is buried in Old Cambridge Cemetery.
James Lovell (1737-1814)—James
Lovell was a member of the Continental Congress from 1777-1782,
receiver of continental taxes 1784-1788, collector of customs in
Boston, Massachusetts from 1788-1789 and was appointed naval officer
of the port of Boston and Charlestown from 1789 until his death
in 1814. During the Revolutionary War, he was a fervent Whig
as opposed to his father, John, who was a Loyalist. He was
put in prison during the war because of his beliefs but was released
via a prisoner exchange.
Samuel Holten (1738-1816)—Samuel
Holten was born in Danvers, Massachusetts in 1738 and was the town’s
physician for many years. He was a delegate to Congress in
1777 and served until 1783. He was a delegate to the Massachusetts
Constitutional Convention, served in the Congress of the United
States from 1793-1796 and was a judge of probate from 1796-1815.
New Hampshire
Josiah Bartlett (1729-1795)—Josiah
Bartlett served in Congress until 1779 and then refused reelection
because of fatigue. On the state level he served as the first
Chief Justice of the Common Pleas (1779-1782), Associate (1782-1788)
and Chief justice of the Superior Court (1788-1790). Bartlett
founded the New Hampshire Medical Society in 1791 and was the Governor
of New Hampshire (1793-1794).
John Wentworth, Jr.
(1745-1787)—John Wentworth, Jr. graduated
from Harvard College in 1768 and began practicing law in Dover,
New Hampshire in 1771. He was a member of the Continental
Congress in 1778, a member of the State council from 1780-1784
and served in the State Senate from 1784-1786. He died
in Dover, New Hampshire on January 10, 1787 and is buried in
Pine Hill Cemetery at Dover.
New Jersey
John Witherspoon
(1723-1794)—John Witherspoon was the
only active clergyman among the signers of the Declaration
of Independence. He served in the Continental Congress
from 1776-1782, was elected to the state legislature in New
Jersey from 1783-1789 and was the President of the College
of New Jersey from 1768-1792. In his later years he
spent a great deal of time trying to rebuild the College of
New Jersey (Princeton).
Nathaniel Scudder
(1733-1781)—Nathaniel Scudder was a
militia officer and physician who served in the Continental
Congress from 1777-1779 and was a trustee of Princeton College
from 1778-1779. He was part of the resistance to a British
raiding party near Shrewsbury, New Jersey, and was killed in
an attack on October 17, 1781. He is buried in the old
graveyard at the Tennant Church and was the only congressman
to be killed in battle during the Revolutionary War.
New York
James Duane (1733-1797)—James
Duane was heavily involved in New York State politics prior to
his election to Congress in 1774. He was a lawyer, Clerk
of the Chancery Court, Attorney General of New York, Boundary Commissioner
and State Indian Commissioner. Duane served in the state
Senate from 1782-1785 and 1788-1790, was Mayor of New York City
from 1784-1789, appointed as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention
to discuss the ratification of the Federal Constitution and was
a United States district judge from 1789-1794.
Francis Lewis (1713-1802)—Francis
Lewis was one who truly felt the tragedy of the Revolutionary War. His
wife died as an indirect result of being imprisoned by the British,
and he lost all of his property on Long Island, New York during
the war. When his wife died, Lewis left Congress and completely
abandoned politics.
William Duer (1747-1799)—William
Duer was born in England, came to America in 1768 and settled in
Fort Miller, New York. He was a member of the Continental
Congress from 1777-1778. Duer moved to new York City in 1783,
became a member of the New York Assembly in 1786 and Assistant
Secretary of the United States Treasury Department from 1789-1790. In
1792 he was sued by the federal government for financial irregularities
while serving in the Treasury Department, and was thrown into debtor’s
prison.
Gouverneur Morris
(1752-1816)—Gouverneur Morris was a
skilled writer, politician and diplomat. He graduated
from King’s College (now Columbia University) in 1768
and began practicing law in New York City in 1771. Morris
served in the Continental Congress from 1778-1779, moved to
Philadelphia and was appointed assistant superintendent from
1781-1785. He was a member of the Pennsylvania delegation
at the Constitutional Convention of 1787. Morris was
appointed by President George Washington as the United States
Commissioner to England (1790-1791) and the United States Minister
to France (1792-1794). He became a United States Senator (1800-1803),
and was the chairman of the Erie Canal Commission (1810-1813).
His last elected position was that of president of the New
York Historical Society (1816).
North Carolina
John Penn (1740-1788)—John
Penn was one of sixteen signers of the Declaration of Independence
who also signed the Articles of Confederation. He was a member
of the Continental Congress from 1775-77; 1779-80 and a member
of the Board of War in 1780 which shared responsibility for military
affairs with the governor. In 1784 he became a state tax receiver
under the Articles of Confederation. After retiring from
politics, he practiced law until his death in 1788.
Cornelius Harnett
(1723-1781)—Cornelius Harnett was a
merchant, farmer and politician and served in the Continental
Congress from 1777-1779. He was
involved in Revolutionary War politics and was a member of the North
Carolina “sons of liberty.” When the British invaded
Wilmington, North Carolina in 1781, Harnett was captured and imprisoned. Although
he was paroled shortly thereafter, his health declined, and he died
on April 28, 1781.
John Williams (1731-1799)—John
Williams practiced law in Williamsboro, North Carolina. He
was one of the founders of the University of North Carolina and
served in the Continental Congress from 1778-1779. He then
served as a judge on the North Carolina Supreme Court until his
death in 1799.
Pennsylvania
Robert Morris (1734-1806)—Robert
Morris has been considered the “Financier of the Revolution,” and
contributed his own money to help such causes as the support of
troops at Valley Forge and the battles of Trenton and Princeton. In
1781 he suggested a plan that became the Bank of North America
and was the Superintendent of Finance under the Articles of Confederation. Morris
was a delegate to the Constitutional Convention, and was later
offered the position of Secretary of the Treasury under the administration
of George Washington. He declined the position and suggested
Alexander Hamilton, who became our first Secretary of the Treasury.
He served as a United States Senator from Pennsylvania from 1789-1795.
Daniel Roberdeau
(1727-1795)—Daniel Roberdeau was a distinguished
statesman and soldier who was greatly influenced by the Reverend
George Whitefield during the Great Awakening of the 1740s. Before
getting involved in politics, Roberdeau was a successful merchant
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. During the Revolutionary
War, he was a first Brigadier General of Pennsylvania troops
and was a member of Congress from 1777-1779. Fort Roberdeau,
named in his honor, was built in 1778 to protect lead mining
operations in the Sinking Stream Valley.
Jonathan Bayard Smith
(1742-1812)—Jonathan Bayard Smith fought
in the Battle of Brandywine in 1777 and served in Congress
from 1777-1778. He was appointed Justice of the Court
of Common Pleas in 1778 and was one of the founders of the
University of the State of Pennsylvania. He served as
a trustee of the University of Pennsylvania until his death
in 1812. Smith was also a trustee of Princeton College
from 1779-1808, and was a Vice-President of the Sons of Washington. He
was a member of the American Philosophical Society for over
forty years.
William Clingan (1721-1790)—William
Clingan served as a justice of the peace for nearly thirty years
from 1757-1786. He served in Congress from 1777-1779 and
was the president of the Chester County, Pennsylvania courts from
1780-1786. He was one of the first signers of the Articles
of Confederation, and was a Protestant Christian along with 98%
of the signers.
Joseph Reed (1741-1785)—Joseph
Reed was an important military and political figure during the
Revolutionary War. He was a graduate of the College of New
Jersey (Princeton University) and began practicing law in 1770. Reed
served as an aid-de-camp to General George Washington and was an
Adjunct General of the Army from 1776-1777. He served in
Congress for one term beginning in 1778 and then became the head
of the Pennsylvania Supreme Executive Council from 1779-1781. Reed
served as a trustee of the University of Pennsylvania from 1782
until his death in 1785.
South Carolina
Henry Laurens (1724-1792)—Henry
Laurens was a wealthy merchant, planter and politician who was
opposed to the mercantile policy of the British but was not in
support of some of the radical economic actions taken prior to
the American Revolution. He served in the Continental Congress
from 1777-1780. Laurens was captured by the British in 1780
on his way to Holland and was imprisoned in the Tower of London. He
was later set free in 1782 in exchange for British General Cornwallis. Laurens
was chosen to help negotiate the Treaty of Paris that officially
ended the Revolutionary War (1783).
William Henry Drayton
(1742-1779)—William Henry Drayton was
educated in the field of law in England at Westminister School
and Balliol College. Before the American Revolutionary
War he was one of King George’s counselors in South Carolina
and one of the assistant judges for the province. Because
of his revolutionary leanings, he was both dismissed and resigned
from those offices. He served in Congress from 1778 until
his untimely death in 1779.
John Mathews (1744-1802)—John
Mathews was born in South Carolina and was educated in the field
of law at the Middle Temple. He returned to South Carolina
in 1766 to set up a law practice. He was actively involved
in state and local politics and served as a Captain in the Colleton
County regiment during the Revolutionary War. After serving
in the Continental Congress from 1777-1778, Mathews was elected
Governor of South Carolina in 1782 and 1783. He was later
elected judge of the court of Chancery (1784), the state House
of Representatives (1784) and judge of the Court of Equity (1791-1797).
Richard Hutson (1748-1795)—Richard
Hutson graduated from Princeton College in 1765 and became a well-known
judge, lawyer and politician. He was actively involved in
state politics and served in the Continental Congress from 1778-1779. During
the American Revolutionary War, he was captured by the British
during the “fall” of Charleston, and was imprisoned
in St. Augustine, Florida from 1780-1782. He served as Lieutenant
Governor of South Carolina from 1782-1783. Hutson was a member
of the state constitutional convention of 1788, which adopted the
Federal Constitution.
Thomas Heyward, Jr.
(1746-1809)—Thomas Heyward was a planter
and lawyer and was one of three signers from South Carolina
captured and imprisoned by the British. He was a member
of the Continental Congress from 1777-1778. After his
involvement in national politics, he returned to South Carolina
and became a judge and a member of the state legislature. The
British destroyed Heyward’s home at White Hall during
the war, and he was held prisoner until 1781. After the
war, he served two terms in the state legislature from 1782-1784. Thomas
Heyward became the first President of the Agricultural Society
of South Carolina.
Rhode Island
William Ellery (1727-1820)—William
Ellery served with distinction in the Congress of the Confederation
until 1786 when he accepted the post of Commissioner of the Continental
Loan Office of Rhode Island. He served in that position until
1790 when he was appointed Customs Collector in Newport. Although
the British destroyed his home during the American Revolution,
Ellery was later able to rebuild his fortune.
Henry Marchant (1741-1796)—Henry
Marchant was a lawyer who graduated from the University of Pennsylvania.
He was the Attorney General of Rhode Island from 1771-1777 and
a member of the Assembly before being elected to Congress from
1777-1779. Marchant was also a member of the Constitutional
Convention in Rhode Island that ratified the Federal Constitution. He
served as United States district judge for Rhode Island from 1790-1796.
John Collins (1717-1795)—John
Collins was a member of the Continental Congress from 1778-1780
and 1782-1783 and Governor of Rhode Island from 1786-1790. While
serving as Governor, Collins cast the deciding vote in the Rhode
Island Senate to form a convention to vote upon the adoption or
rejection of the Federal Constitution. He was then elected
to the first Congress of the United States but refused to take
his seat.
Virginia
Richard Henry Lee
(1732-1794)—Richard Henry Lee introduced
the resolution for independence to the Second Continental Congress
in June 1776. He was a Virginia state legislator from 1780-1784
and served in the national Congress again from 1784-1789. He
supported the Constitution after the decision was made to include
a bill of rights. He was elected Senator from Virginia from
1789-1792. However, Lee was forced to resign in 1792
due to poor health.
John Banister (1734-1788)—John
Banister was born in Virginia, educated in England and began a
law practice in Petersburg, Virginia. He was a member of
the Virginia House of Burgesses and was elected to the Continental
Congress in 1778. Banister was a Major and Lieutenant Colonel
in the Virginia militia during the Revolutionary War and fought
during the British invasion of Virginia in 1781.
Thomas Adams (1730-1788)—Thomas
Adams was a legislator and businessman from New Kent County, Virginia. He
was a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses and a member of
Congress from 1778-1779. After his term was completed in
the Congress, Adams served in the Virginia State Senate from 1783-1786. Adams
died on his estate, "Cowpasture", in August of 1788.
John Harvie (1742-1807)—John
Harvie was a boyhood friend of Thomas Jefferson and his father
(also named John Harvie) became Jefferson’s legal guardian
after the death of Peter Jefferson (Jefferson’s father) in
1757. Harvie was an American lawyer, builder and politician
who served in the Continental Congress from 1777-1778. After
1778, Harvie worked as a purchasing agent and helped supply the
Virginia militia and Continental Army. He died in 1807 after
falling off a ladder while inspecting one of his building projects.
Francis Lightfoot
Lee (1734-1797)—Francis Lightfoot Lee
was the younger brother of Richard Henry Lee. He signed
both the Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation
as well as serving on both the military and marine committees
during his time in Congress. He left Congress in 1779
and served a few years in the Virginia state legislature.
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