William Paterson (lawyer)

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William Paterson (born December 24, 1745 in County Antrim , Ireland , † September 9, 1806 in Albany , New York ) was an American statesman, one of the signatories of the constitution and judge of the Supreme Court .

William Paterson

Life

Born in Ireland , William Paterson came to North America at the age of two. He enrolled at Princeton University when he was 14 . After graduation, he studied law with prominent lawyer Richard Stockton and was admitted to the bar in 1768.

Paterson became an outspoken supporter of American independence. At the Provincial Congress of New Jersey (1775-1776) and at the Constituent Assembly of New Jersey (1776) he was a delegate for Somerset County .

After independence, Paterson was named New Jersey's first Attorney General . In this position he upheld law and order and gained a reputation as the best lawyer in the state. In 1787 he was sent to the Philadelphia Convention , which drafted the United States Constitution. Paterson introduced the so-called New Jersey Plan there. After drafting a compromise proposal , he was one of the signatories to the constitution.

William Paterson was one of the first Senators of the United States (1789-1790) and was then Governor of New Jersey (1790-1793). In this role, he oversaw the cleanup and codification of the New Jersey legal system. At the suggestion of George Washington he was appointed judge (Associate Justice) at the United States Supreme Court on March 11, 1793 . In 1801 he was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences . He held the office of judge until his death on September 9, 1806.

The city of Paterson and William Paterson University in Wayne are named after William Paterson .

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Commons : William Paterson  - Collection of Pictures, Videos and Audio Files
personal data
SURNAME Paterson, William
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American statesman, Supreme Court Justice
DATE OF BIRTH December 24, 1745
PLACE OF BIRTH County Antrim , Ireland
DATE OF DEATH September 9, 1806
Place of death Albany , New York