Thomas McKean

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Thomas McKean (portrait of Charles Willson Peale , around 1797)Thomas McKean's signature

Thomas McKean (born March 19, 1734 in New London Township , Chester County , Province of Pennsylvania , †  June 24, 1817 in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania ) was a lawyer and politician, officer in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War and is one of the signatories of the Declaration of Independence of the United States one of the American Founding Fathers .

Origin and family

McKean's parents were William McKean and Letitia Finney. His father was a pub owner in New London and both of his parents were Scottish - Irish Americans who immigrated from Ireland as children . McKean married Mary Borden in 1763 and had six children with her: Joseph, Robert, Elizabeth, Letitia, Mary and Anne. They lived in New Castle , Delaware . Mary died in 1773 and was buried at the Immanuel Episcopal Church in New Castle. In 1774 he married Sarah Armitage, settled with her and his children in Philadelphia and had four other children with her: Sarah (Sally), Thomas, Sophia and Maria. They were all members of the Presbyterian Church at New Castle. Sarah McKean married Carlos Martínez de Irujo y Tacón, who was then the Spanish ambassador to Washington and later three-time Minister of State, in 1798 . Their son, Carlos Martínez de Irujo , later became Prime Minister of Spain.

Early career

McKean's education began at Rev. Francis Allison's Academy in New London. At the age of 16, McKean went to New Castle, Delaware, to study law with his cousin David Finney. He was admitted to Delaware in 1755 and Pennsylvania the following year. In 1756 he was appointed assistant district attorney for Sussex County . From the 1762/63 to the 1775/76 term of office he was a member of the General Assembly of Delaware, of which he was spokesman in 1772/73. From July 1765 on he also worked as a judge at the civil appellate court and in 1771 began as a tax collector in New Castle. In November 1765, his civil appellate court was the first in the colonies to enact a law requiring court documents to be put on unstamped paper.

In the 18th century, Delaware was politically divided into weak splinter parties known as the Court Party and the Country Party . The more important Court Party was mainly Anglican , strongest in Kent and Sussex Counties, and worked closely with the colonial government, favoring a reconciliation with the British royal government. Mostly Scottish-Irish Americans were part of the smaller country party. It was strongest in New Castle County and was quick to advocate independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain. McKean was an ardent country party advocate. He worked closely with Caesar Rodney of Kent County and found himself in opposition to their neighbors and friends George Read and John Dickinson .

American independence movement

Stamp Act Congress

McKean and Caesar Rodney represented Delaware at the Stamp Act Congress of 1765. McKean proposed the voting procedure that the Continental Congress later adopted: Each colony, regardless of size and population, had one vote. This decision set the precedent and was adopted by the Articles of Confederation Congress . The principle of equivalence of states continued in the creation of the United States Senate .

McKean quickly became one of the most influential members of the Stamp Law Congress. He was on the committee that drafted the memorandum to the British Parliament and edited its minutes with John Rutledge and Philip Livingston . On the last day of the meeting, when Congress was due to close, the President of the Corporation, Timothy Ruggles , and a few other members refused to sign the memorandum on rights and lawsuits. McKean jumped up and, to his chair, demanded that the President state the reasons for his refusal. After the refusal, Ruggles first said it was "against his conscience". McKean became so excited about the use of the word "conscience" for so long that it was challenged to a duel between McKean and Ruggles that was to take place during Congress. However, Ruggles left at sunrise the next morning, so the duel did not take place.

Continental Congress and Declaration of Independence

Despite his secondary residence in Philadelphia, McKean remained an effective leader of the American independence movement in Delaware. Along with George Read and Caesar Rodney, he was one of Delaware's delegates to the First Continental Congress in 1774 and the Second Continental Congress in 1775/76. As an open advocate, he was one of the key voices in persuading others to vote for the United States' Declaration of Independence . When George Read voted against independence, McKean arranged for the absent Caesar Rodney to ride from Dover to Philadelphia that night to break the tie in Delaware's vote in favor of independence.

A few days after McKean cast his vote, he left the Continental Congress to take over as Colonel in the Philadelphia Fourth Battalion ("Associators") and to join George Washington in Perth Amboy, New Jersey for the defense of New York City . Along with John Dickinson, he was one of only two members of the Continental Congress who actually served in the Continental Army . Because he was absent, he was not there when most of the signatories signed the Declaration of Independence on August 2, 1777. Since his signature does not appear on the printed copy, which was authenticated on January 17, 1777, it can be assumed that he signed after that date.

US Congress and the Articles of Confederation

Because of their strong support for the American independence movement, the Conservative First General Assembly of Delaware did not elect either McKean or Caesar Rodney in the Continental Congress of 1776. Nonetheless, McKean returned a year later, in October 1777, elected by the Second General Assembly of Delaware, and stayed until May 1 February 1783. He helped draft the Articles of Confederation and voted for their adoption on March 1, 1781. When his poor health forced the incumbent President of the Continental Congress , Samuel Huntington , to resign in July 1781, McKean was elected president for the period from July 10, 1781 to November 4, 1781. In this position McKean sat the unicameral assembly of the Confederation Congress and held the highest political office of the time. He was the first person named "President of the United States" in an official document given. However, it was not an executive position in any way comparable to the presidency established in the later 1787 constitution. During his tenure, an army of the Kingdom of Great Britain surrendered at the Battle of Yorktown .

Government of Delaware

Meanwhile, McKean led the effort in the Delaware General Assembly to declare its independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain , which it did on June 5, 1776. Then, in August, he was elected to the special congress for the drafting of a new state constitution. As soon as he had heard of it, McKean rode the long way to Dover from Philadelphia in a single day, took a room in an inn, and that night, practically by himself, the document was drafted, which on September 20, 1776 was accepted. The Delaware constitution of 1776 thus became the first state constitution to be drawn up after the United States declared independence .

McKean was then elected to the first House of Representatives in Delaware, the two seasons 1776/77 and 1778/79, and succeeded John McKinly as speaker on February 12, 1777 when he became governor of Delaware. Shortly after McKinly's capture and incarceration, McKean served as acting governor of Delaware for a month from September 22 to October 20, 1777, the period that was the rightful successor to McKinly, spokesman for the Delaware Legislative Council (Senate of Delaware) It took George Read to return from the Philadelphia Continental Congress and perform his duties.

At that time, Delaware was in the greatest chaos in its history. The British Army occupied Philadelphia, Wilmington, and most of northern New Castle County. His navy controlled the Delaware River and the Delaware Bay . As a result, the state capital, New Castle, was an unsafe meeting place and the administrative center of Sussex County, Lewes , had been so badly destroyed by loyalists that no valid election could take place that fall. As governor of Delaware, McKean was primarily concerned with recruiting men for the militia and maintaining the appearance of civil order in the parts of the state that were still under his control.

Government of Pennsylvania

McKean began his long time as Chief Justice of Pennsylvania on July 28, 1777 and worked in that office until 1799. Here he largely established the rules for the judiciary of independent Pennsylvania. According to his biographer John Coleman, "Only the historiographical difficulty of viewing court records and other scattered documents prevents the insight that McKean has done more than John Marshall or anyone else to establish an independent judiciary in the United States. As the chief judge under the Pennsylvania Constitution, which he considered defective, he insisted on the court's right to reject legislative laws as unconstitutional, and was ten years ahead of the US Supreme Court's establishment of the doctrine of constitutional jurisdiction. He strengthened the rights of the accused and strove for prison reform, but on the other hand only slowly recognized the need to expand the legal rights of women and the gradual abolition of slavery. "

He was a member of the Pennsylvania Congress , which ratified the United States Constitution. In the constitutional congress of Pennsylvania 1789/90 he campaigned for a strong executive branch and was himself a member of the Federalist Party at the time . In 1796, however, dissatisfied with the federalists' domestic policies and their compromises with England, he became an outspoken Jefferson Republican .

McKean was elected governor of Pennsylvania for three terms , from December 17, 1799 to December 20, 1808. He defeated the Federalist Party candidate, James Ross , in 1799 and more clearly in 1802. First, McKean ousted supporters of the Federalists from their positions in the state government. That is why he is called the father of the spoils system (patronage of offices run by the winner). When seeking the third term in 1805 McKean was in dispute with factions of his Democratic Republican Party and the General Assembly of Pennsylvania nominated the spokesman Simon Snyder in his place . Governor McKean forged an alliance with the Federalist Party called the Quids and defeated Snyder. He then began to evict Democratic Republicans from government offices.

The governor's strong belief in a strong executive and a strong judiciary has been bitterly denounced by William Duan , the influential editor of the newspaper "Aurora", and the Philadelphia populist Michael Leib . After citing public attacks on charges, McKean brought a partially successful defamation suit against Duane in 1805. The Pennsylvania House of Representatives indicted the governor in 1807, but his friends prevented an investigation until the end of his term, so the matter was dropped. When the case came up after McKean left office, his son Joseph angrily criticized attorney Duanes for his incoherent claim that McKean referred to the people of Pennsylvania as "clodpoles" (rude farmers).

Some of McKean's other activities included promoting free education for all and, by the age of 80, leading a group of Philadelphia citizens to organize a strong defense during the British-American War . McKean returned to Philadelphia, where he spent the rest of his life writing, debating political affairs, and enjoying the considerable wealth he had gained from his investments and lands.

Death and legacy

McKean died in Philadelphia on June 24, 1817 and was initially buried in the cemetery of the First Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia. In 1834 his body was transferred to Laurel Hill Cemetery in Philadelphia. Thomas McKean High School in New Castle County, Delaware is named in his honor, as are McKean Street in Philadelphia and McKean County .

McKean was over 6 feet tall and always wore a tall hat and a walking stick with a gold pommel. He was a man with a hot temper and an energetic personality, “with a narrow face, hooked nose and hot eyes.” He was “cold, proud and vain for his“ haughty and often tactless manner, which turned many against him, ”as well as for that " to be. Some believed that “the popularity among his followers was difficult to understand. He seldom mingled with the people except on public occasions. Many found his company intolerable. Others concluded that it attracted so much business because people simply trusted in his integrity and impressive credentials. " John Adams described him as" one of the three men in the Continental Congress who, in my opinion, saw the matter clearer than anyone else. “As Chief Justice of Pennsylvania after the war, and particularly later as Governor of the state, he was often the center of controversy.

Public offices

Prior to 1831, elections were held in Delaware in the first week of October. Members of the Delaware House of Representatives began serving for a year on October 20. Prior to 1776, no more than six MPs were elected from each county. After 1776 the number was increased to seven. The Delaware General Assembly elected the deputies to the Continental Congress for a term of one year and the governor for a term of three years.

Office Type place Elected Inauguration Handover Remarks
Deputy Attorney General Jurisprudence Lewes 1756 1758 Sussex County
Delaware Colonial Assembly legislative branch New Castle 1762 October 20, 1762 October 20, 1763
Delaware Colonial Assembly legislative branch New Castle 1763 October 20, 1763 October 20, 1764
Delaware Colonial Assembly legislative branch New Castle 1764 October 20, 1764 October 21, 1765
Court of Common Pleas Jurisprudence New Castle 1765 1774 Judge
Stamp Act Congress legislative branch New York City October 7, 1765 October 19, 1765 Delaware
Delaware Colonial Assembly legislative branch New Castle 1765 October 21, 1765 October 20, 1766
Delaware Colonial Assembly legislative branch New Castle 1766 October 20, 1766 October 20, 1767
Delaware Colonial Assembly legislative branch New Castle 1767 October 20, 1767 October 20, 1768
Delaware Colonial Assembly legislative branch New Castle 1768 October 20, 1768 October 20, 1769
Delaware Colonial Assembly legislative branch New Castle 1769 October 20, 1769 October 20, 1770
Delaware Colonial Assembly legislative branch New Castle 1770 October 20, 1770 October 21, 1771
Tax collector executive New Castle 1771 1774
Delaware Colonial Assembly legislative branch New Castle 1771 October 21, 1771 October 20, 1772
Delaware Colonial Assembly legislative branch New Castle 1772 October 20, 1772 October 20, 1773 speaker
Delaware Colonial Assembly legislative branch New Castle 1773 October 20, 1773 October 20, 1774
Continental Congress legislative branch Philadelphia 1774 August 2, 1774 October 26, 1774 Delaware
Delaware Colonial Assembly legislative branch New Castle 1774 October 20, 1774 October 20, 1775
Continental Congress legislative branch Philadelphia 1775 March 16, 1775 October 21, 1775 Delaware
Continental Congress legislative branch Philadelphia 1775 October 21, 1775 November 7, 1776 Delaware
Delaware Colonial Assembly legislative branch New Castle 1775 October 20, 1775 June 15, 1776
State constitution congress Dover 1776 August 27, 1776 September 20, 1776 Delaware
Delaware House of Representatives legislative branch New Castle 1776 October 21, 1776 September 22, 1777 Speaker
Supreme Court Jurisprudence Philadelphia July 28, 1777 December 17, 1799 Pennsylvania Chief Justice
Delaware Governor executive New Castle September 22, 1777 October 20, 1777 Delaware / Representative
Continental Congress legislative branch Philadelphia December 17, 1777 January 18, 1779 Delaware
Delaware House of Representatives legislative branch Dover 1778 October 20, 1778 October 20, 1779
Continental Congress legislative branch Philadelphia January 18, 1779 December 24, 1779 Delaware
Continental Congress legislative branch Philadelphia December 24, 1779 February 10, 1781 Delaware
Articles of Confederation legislative branch Philadelphia February 10, 1781 February 2, 1782 Delaware
Articles of Confederation executive Philadelphia July 10, 1781 November 4, 1781 president
Articles of Confederation legislative branch Philadelphia February 2, 1782 February 1, 1783 Delaware
State constitution congress Philadelphia 1789 1790 Pennsylvania
governor executive Philadelphia 1799 December 17, 1799 December 15, 1802 Pennsylvania
governor executive Philadelphia 1802 December 15, 1802 December 18, 1805 Pennsylvania
governor executive Philadelphia 1805 December 18, 1805 December 20, 1808 Pennsylvania

Election results

year Office Country person Political party be right % opponent Political party be right %
1799 governor Pennsylvania Thomas McKean Democratic-
Republican
Party 		38,036 54% James Ross Federalist Party 32,641 46%
1802 governor Pennsylvania Thomas McKean Democratic-
Republican
Party 		47,879 83% James Ross Federalist Party 9,499 17%
1805 governor Pennsylvania Thomas McKean Independently 43,644 53% Simon Snyder Democratic-
Republican
Party 		38,438 47%

swell

  • Carol E. Hoffecker: Democracy in Delaware . Cedar Tree Books, Wilmington 2004, ISBN 1-892142-23-6
  • John A. Munroe: The Philadelawareans . University of Delaware Press, Newark 2004, ISBN 0-87413-872-8
  • John A. Munroe: History of Delaware . University of Delaware Press, 1993, ISBN 0-87413-493-5
  • Roger A. Martin: A History of Delaware Through its Governors . McClafferty Press, Wilmington 1984
  • GS Rowe: Thomas McKean, The Shaping of an American Republicanism . Colorado Associated University Press, Boulder 1978, ISBN 0-87081-100-2
  • John M. Coleman: Thomas McKean, Forgotten Leader of the Revolution . American Faculty Press, Rockaway, NJ 1975, ISBN 0-912834-07-2
  • John A. Munroe: Federalist Delaware 1775-1815 . Rutgers University, New Brunswick 1954.
  • Christopher L. Ward: The Delaware Continentals, 1776–1783 . Wilmington 1941.
  • John Thomas Scharf: History of Delaware 1609-1888 . 2 volumes, LJ Richards & Co., Philadelphia 1888.
  • Russell S. Pickett: Delaware and USHistory . 2005
  • Russell S. Pickett: Thomas McKean biography . 2005
  • G. Swetnam: The Governors of Pennsylvania, 1790–1990. McDonald / Sward, 1990.
  • DG Barthelmas: The Signers of the Declaration of Independence: A Biographical and Genealogical Record. McFarland Press, Jefferson, NC 1977.
  • JS Futhey and G. Cope: History of Chester County, Pennsylvania, with Genealogical and Biographical Sketches. Louis H. Everts. Philadelphia 1881, reprinted 1974

photos

Web links

Commons : Thomas McKean  - collection of images, videos and audio files
  • Thomas McKean in the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress (English)

References and comments

  1. ^ Rev. Charles A. Goodrich. The life of the signatories of the Declaration of Independence . New York: William Reed & Co., 1856. Pages 323-337. (English)
  2. ^ Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (2005). Thomas McKean ( Memento from September 23, 2005 in the Internet Archive ) (English).
  3. ^ Smithsonian Institution (2005). Thomas McKean ( Memento from December 5, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) (English).
  4. ↑ Talamore Thomas McKean ( Memento from November 20, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) (English).
  5. ↑ McKean became speaker on February 12, 1777, when John McKinly was elected state president .
  6. ↑ McKean declined the duties of Chief Justice at the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.
personal data
SURNAME McKean, Thomas
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American lawyer and politician, signatory of the Declaration of Independence
DATE OF BIRTH March 19, 1734
PLACE OF BIRTH New London Township , Pennsylvania Province
DATE OF DEATH June 24, 1817
Place of death Philadelphia , Pennsylvania