Caesar Rodney

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Caesar Rodney.

Caesar Rodney (born October 7, 1728 in East Dover Hundred , Delaware Colony , † June 26, 1784 ibid) was a lawyer and politician. As an officer in the Delaware militia, he took part in the French and Indian War and the American War of Independence and was Governor of Delaware. As a signatory to the United States' Declaration of Independence , he is one of the American founding fathers .

Parentage and childhood

see main article Rodney family of Delaware

Rodney was born on "Byfield", the farm of his parents Caesar and Mary Crawford Rodney, which is adjacent to the country estate "Poplar Hall" of John Dickinson to the north . His grandfather, William Rodney, came to America in the 1680s and was Speaker of the Delaware General Assembly in 1704 . Rodney's ancestors included the prominent Adelmare family in Treviso (Italy). His mother was the daughter of the Anglican Reverend Thomas Rodney, a Proester in Dover . "Byfield" was an 800 acre (3.237 km²) that was worked by a small number of slaves. With other properties nearby, the Rodneys belonged to the affluent upper class of the community by the standards of the time. Sufficient income was made by selling wheat and grain to Philadelphia and the West Indies . This brought in enough cash and free time to allow members of the family to participate in Kent County 's social and political life .

Rodney was homeschooled first, but later attended Latin School in Philadelphia. Rodney's father died in 1745 when Rodney was 17 years old. So he came under the legal guardianship of Nicholas Ridgely, clerk of the peace in Kent County. As the eldest son, he ran the family farm for another ten years before getting into politics. His mother remarried and had two more children, but died in 1763. From then on Rodney was the main provider of his younger siblings and was particularly close to his brother Thomas Rodney and his half-sister Sally Wilson, who ran the household for him. He never married. Following tradition, he courted Mary (Polly) Vinig, the aunt of the future Senator John M. Vining . However, she married Rev. Charles Inglis, the rector of the Anglican Church in Dover, where the family attended church.

Early political career

Thomas Rodney described his brother at the time as someone with "a lot of wit and humor of the pleasant kind, so that a conversation with him was always cheerful and guided by wisdom ... He remained a bachelor, was generally respected and really very popular." Correspondingly easy he entered the world of politics previously occupied by his father and guardian. In 1755 he was elected chief sheriff of Kent County and remained so for the maximum three permitted years. This was a powerful and financially rewarding position because he oversaw the elections and selected the members of the grand jury that set county taxes. After three years, he was appointed to a variety of positions including Register of Wills, Notary, Clerk of the Orphan's Court, Justice of the Peace, and Lower Court Judge. During the French and Indian War , he was an entrusted captain of the Dover Hundred Company in Col. John Vining's regiment of the Delaware Militia. However, the company was never used for active service. From 1769 to 1777 he was an associate judge on the Delaware Supreme Court.

The Delaware the 18th century was politically divided into weak factions as " Court Party " (Court Party) and "State Party" (Country Party) were known. The superior court party was predominantly Anglican, most strongly represented in Kent and Sussex Counties, worked well with the colonial government and favored reconciliation with the government of the Kingdom of Great Britain . The weaker country party was mostly Ulster Scots , centered in New Castle County , who quickly advocated independence from Great Britain. Although they were members of the Kent Count Anglican upper class, Rodney and his brother Thomas came more and more in line with the Country Party, which were a clear minority in Kent County. So he worked mainly with Thomas McKean of New Castle County - in opposition to their friends and neighbors John Dickinson and George Read .

American independence movement

Rodney joined Thomas McKean as a delegate to the Stamp Act Congress in 1765 and was a leader of the Delaware Correspondence Committee . He sat in the Delaware General Assembly from the 1761/62 electoral term and remained in office until the 1775/76 session. He was speaker several times, including the momentous June 15, 1775, when "with Rodney in the chair and McKean as spokesman for the debate from the ranks," the Delaware General Assembly voted to sever ties with the British Parliament and King.

The presentation of the United States Declaration of Independence to Congress.

Because of his military experience, Rodney was named Brigadier General of the Delaware Militia. As Delaware and other colonies rapidly evolved from protest to self-government and then to independence, the situation in the heavily loyalist counties of Kent and Sussex Counties quickly deteriorated . Numerous local leaders spoke out strongly in favor of maintaining ties to the Kingdom of Great Britain and Rodney and his militia repeatedly had to suppress the resulting revolts. Some of the loyalists were captured and imprisoned, others escaped into the swamps or on British ships, and others quietly opposed the new government.

Meanwhile, Rodney was from 1774 to 1776 member of the Continental Congress ; together with Thomas McKean and George Read. Rodney was in Dover, Delaware , engaging in loyalist activity in Sussex County when he received word from Thomas McKean that he (McKean) and George Read were at an impasse on the independence vote.

Caesar Rodney in the 1999 Delaware Quarter.

To break the stalemate, Rodney rode eight miles ( eight miles ) through a thunderstorm on the night of July 1, 1776 , and made a dramatic appearance "in riding boots and spurs" just in time for the voting to begin in Philadelphia . He voted with Thomas McKean, causing Delaware to join the other eleven states in the United States ' Declaration of Independence vote . He also secured his defeat in the Kent County (Delaware) election for a seat in the scheduled Delaware Constitutional Congress and the new Delaware Parliament.

When he learned of the death of his friend John Haslet at the Battle of Princeton , Rodney went to see George Washington . Washington soon sent him back to Delaware where, as Major General of the Delaware Militia, he was urgently needed to protect the state from British military attacks and to control continued loyalist activities, particularly in Sussex County.

In the midst of the disastrous events following the Battle of Brandywine and the occupation of Wilmington, Delaware and Philadelphia , a second parliament was elected in Delaware in October 1777, which Rodney and Thomas McKean immediately sent back to the Continental Congress. Because the President of Delaware John McKinley was in captivity and the incumbent President George Read was at the end of his tether, Rodney was elected President of Delaware on March 31, 1778. Delaware now had a dedicated, energetic, and competent leader, but it would be a mistake to confuse the office of president of 1778 with the office of current state governor. Rodney's effectiveness resulted from his popularity in the Delaware Parliament, which held true power, and the loyalty of the Delaware militia to him, which was the only available means of asserting his authority.

The career of a notorious loyalist , Cheney Clow, began at this time. Clow gathered a large group of sympathizers, built a fort, and prepared to march into the state's new capital, Dover . Repelled in this attempt, they scattered into the forests and swamps and wreaked havoc during the remainder of the war, generating hostilities that were not so easily forgotten after the war. Rodney took extraordinary steps to get rid of and control the loyalists by banning trade with the British, demanding the oath of allegiance and confiscating the property of those who refused to swear. Many people fled.

Meanwhile, Rodney was scouring the state for money, supplies, and soldiers to aid the national war effort. The Delaware continental troops fought excellently in many battles from the Battle of Long Island to the Battle of Monmouth , but in 1780 the entire army suffered its worst defeat at the Battle of Camden , South Carolina . The small Delaware regiment was nearly wiped out, and the remains were reduced so that they could only fight with the Maryland regiment for the remainder of the war . And still the loyalists and privateers along the coast of Sussex County, Delaware, kept simmering. Rodney had done so much to stabilize the situation, but his health was deteriorating and he resigned on November 6, 1781 after the ultimately convincing Battle of Yorktown .

Rodney was elected to the US Congress under the Articles of Confederation by the Delaware Parliament in 1782 and 1783 , but could not take up his service because of his poor health. However, two years after resigning as president of the state, he was elected to the legislative council (State Senate of Delaware) for the 1783/84 term and was elected speaker by the council as a final gesture of respect . Unfortunately, his health was now deteriorating rapidly, and although the State Senate met briefly at his home, he died before the end of the term.

Death and legacy

Rodney died on June 25, 1784 at Poplar Grove, his home in East Dover Hundred. He was buried in the family grave in Byerly, but the exact location of his grave on the farm is unknown. There is a memorial in the Christ Episcopal Church Cemetery in Dover, Delaware on what was once believed to be his remains.

John Adams described Rodney, who had asthma and facial cancer, as “the strangest looking man in the world; he is tall, thin and weak as reeds and pale; his face is no bigger than a big apple, but there is intelligence and fire, spirit, wit and humor in that expression. ”The cancer on his face was the cause of great pain for many years and was so disfiguring that it was often green Wore silk scarf to cover it up. Although they both had military experience, Rodney's background was almost the opposite of his predecessor, John McKinley . Where McKinley was an Ulster Scot Presbyterian from New Castle County who was politically allied with the compromise-seeking "Court Party" from the Lower Counties, Rodney was a member of the Anglican upper class from the heavily loyalist southern states, who ultimately became politically the joined the independence-seeking “Country Party”. Combined with his personal capabilities, that was a good mix to successfully lead a very diverse population of Delaware through the independence era. Goodrich summed up his character as “a man of great integrity and pure patriotic sentiment. If necessary, he sacrificed his personal interests for the public good. He was known for his sense of good humor and liveliness; and his generosity was an adornment of human nature. "

Public offices

At that time, elections were held in Delaware on October 1st. Members of the Delaware House of Representatives assumed office for one year on October 20. Six representatives were elected prior to 1776, mostly one per county. After 1776 the number was increased to seven and the House of Lords was created, the Delaware Senate, which generally comprised three senators per county for three years.

The Delaware Parliament elected the members of the Continental Congress for one year each and the president for three years each.

Office Type place Elected on Assumption of office Handover Remarks
sheriff executive Dover (Delaware) October 1, 1755 October 1, 1755 October 1, 1756 Kent County (Delaware)
sheriff executive Dover (Delaware) October 1, 1756 October 1, 1756 October 1, 1757 Kent County (Delaware)
sheriff executive Dover (Delaware) October 1, 1757 October 1, 1757 October 2, 1758 Kent County (Delaware)
Court of Common Pleas Jurisprudence New Castle (Delaware) 1759 1769 Justice of the Peace
Delaware House of Representatives legislative branch New Castle (Delaware) October 1, 1761 October 20, 1761 October 20, 1762
Delaware House of Representatives legislative branch New Castle (Delaware) October 1, 1762 October 20, 1762 October 20, 1763
Delaware House of Representatives legislative branch New Castle (Delaware) October 1, 1763 October 20, 1763 October 20, 1764
Delaware House of Representatives legislative branch New Castle (Delaware) October 1, 1764 October 20, 1764 October 20, 1765
Stamp Act Congress legislative branch New York City September 21, 1765 October 7, 1765 October 19, 1765
Delaware House of Representatives legislative branch New Castle (Delaware) October 1, 1765 October 20, 1765 October 20, 1766
Delaware House of Representatives legislative branch New Castle (Delaware) October 1, 1766 October 20, 1766 October 20, 1767
Delaware House of Representatives legislative branch New Castle (Delaware) October 1, 1767 October 20, 1767 October 20, 1768
Delaware House of Representatives legislative branch New Castle (Delaware) October 1, 1768 October 20, 1768 October 20, 1769
Delaware Supreme Court Jurisprudence New Castle (Delaware) 1769 1777 Associate Justice
Delaware House of Representatives legislative branch New Castle (Delaware) October 1, 1769 October 20, 1769 October 20, 1770 Speaker
Delaware House of Representatives legislative branch New Castle (Delaware) October 1, 1770 October 20, 1770 October 20, 1771 Speaker
Delaware House of Representatives legislative branch New Castle (Delaware) October 1, 1771 October 20, 1771 October 20, 1772
Delaware House of Representatives legislative branch New Castle (Delaware) October 1, 1772 October 20, 1772 October 20, 1773
Delaware House of Representatives legislative branch New Castle (Delaware) October 1, 1773 October 20, 1773 October 20, 1774
Continental Congress legislative branch Philadelphia August 2, 1774 September 5, 1774 October 26, 1774
Delaware House of Representatives legislative branch New Castle (Delaware) October 1, 1774 October 20, 1774 October 20, 1775
Continental Congress legislative branch Philadelphia March 16, 1775 May 10, 1775 October 21, 1775
Delaware House of Representatives legislative branch New Castle (Delaware) October 1, 1775 October 20, 1775 June 15, 1776 Speaker
Continental Congress legislative branch Philadelphia October 21, 1775 October 21, 1775 November 7, 1776
Continental Congress legislative branch York December 17, 1777 December 17, 1777 June 27, 1778 was never present
Continental Congress legislative branch Philadelphia December 17, 1777 July 2, 1778 January 18, 1779 was never present
President of Delaware executive Dover (Delaware) March 31, 1778 March 31, 1778 November 6, 1781
Continental Congress legislative branch Philadelphia February 2, 1782 February 2, 1782 February 1, 1783 was never present
Continental Congress legislative branch Philadelphia February 1, 1783 February 1, 1783 June 21, 1783 was never present
Continental Congress legislative branch Princeton, New Jersey February 1, 1783 June 30, 1783 November 4, 1783 was never present
Continental Congress legislative branch Annapolis, Maryland February 1, 1783 November 26, 1783 April 8, 1784 was never present
Delaware Senate legislative branch Dover (Delaware) October 1, 1783 October 20, 1783 June 26, 1784 Speaker

Remarks

  1. ↑ Delegates to the colonial parliament were acting illegally as individuals when they selected these delegates when the parliament was not in session.

literature

  • DG Barthelmas: The Signers of the Declaration of Independence: A Biographical and Genealogical Record . McFarland Press, Jefferson NC 1977.
  • John M. Coleman: Thomas McKean, Forgotten Leader of the Revolution . American Faculty Press, Rockaway, NJ 1984, ISBN 0-912834-07-2 .
  • Robert G Ferris, Richard E. Morris: The Signers of the Declaration of Independence . Interpretive Publications, Flagstaff, AZ 1973, ISBN 0-936478-07-1 .
  • Carol E. Hoffecker: Democracy in Delaware . Cedar Tree Books, Wilmington DE 2004, ISBN 1-892142-23-6 .
  • Roger A. Martin: Memoirs of the Senate . Roger A. Martin, Newark DE 1995.
  • Roger A. Martin: A History of Delaware Through its Governors . McClafferty Press, Wilmington DE 1984.
  • John A. Munroe: The Philadelawareans . University of Delaware Press, Newark DE 2004, ISBN 0-87413-872-8 .
  • John A. Munroe: History of Delaware . University of Delaware Press, Newark DE 1993, ISBN 0-87413-493-5 .
  • John A. Munroe: Federalist Delaware 1775-1815 . Rutgers University, New Brunswick NJ 1954.
  • GS Rowe: Thomas McKean, The Shaping of an American Republicanism . Colorado Associated University Press, Boulder CO 1984, ISBN 0-87081-100-2 .
  • Jane Harrington Scott: A Gentleman as Well as a Whig . University of Delaware Press, Newark DE 2000, ISBN 0-87413-700-4 .
  • Christopher L. Ward: The Delaware Continentals, 1776–1783 . Historical Society of Delaware, Wilmington DE 1941, ISBN 0-924117-21-4 .
  • Rodney, Caesar . In: James Grant Wilson, John Fiske (Eds.): Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography . tape 5 : Pickering - Sumter . D. Appleton and Company, New York 1888, p. 299 (English, Textarchiv - Internet Archive ).

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personal data
SURNAME Rodney, Caesar
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Governor of Delaware; Signatory of the United States Declaration of Independence
DATE OF BIRTH October 7, 1728
PLACE OF BIRTH East Dover Hundred , Delaware, Kingdom of Great Britain
DATE OF DEATH June 26, 1784
Place of death East Dover Hundred , Delaware