He has published scholarly papers and popular articles for both children and adults. One lost all 13 of his children; and the wives, sons, and daughters of others were killed, imprisoned, harassed, or deprived of all material possessions. The servant therefore retains all his other natural rights. Williamsburg, Virginia, Omohundro Institute of American History and Culture and Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2017. At the urging of Benjamin Rush and Richard Stockton, whom he met in Paisley, Witherspoon finally accepted a second invitation to become president and head professor of the small Presbyterian College of New Jersey in Princeton. Consequently, he was opposed to the Roman Catholic Legitimist Jacobite rising of 174546. To fulfill this, he and his family emigrated to New Jersey in 1768. Consistent with his Presbyterian theology, Witherspoon believed that God was the author of freedom, and he did not think that the state, which was administered by imperfect individuals, had the right to dictate personal religious beliefs. His son, Commodore Robert Field Stockton, was a hero of the War of 1812, and in 1846 became the Military Governor of California and later a Senator from New Jersey. Witherspoon was a very active member of congress, serving on more than a hundred committees through his tenure and debating frequently on the floor. Miss Montgomery, at an early age, and at the time of his immigration had three sons and two daughters. Witherspoon was a staunch Protestant, nationalist, and supporter of republicanism. He voted in favor, and shortly after voted for the Declaration of Independence. Yet he so conducted himself that Benjamin Rush of Pennsylvania said of Morris that "every attachment of his heart yielded to his love of his country.". Tyranny, like Hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.". Had you known the pleasure it would have communicated, I flatter myself, your diffidence would not have delayed it to this time. Considered firm but good-humored in his leadership, Witherspoon was very popular among both faculty and students. John Knox Witherspoon (February 15, 1723 November 15, 1794) was a signatory of the United States Declaration of Independence as a representative of New Jersey. In 1766 and 1767, he gave up his law practice for the purpose of visiting England, Scotland, and Ireland. I shall empty my portmanteau of the stockings I have for my own use on this journey, excepting a pair to take back home, but this is a drop of water in the Ocean. Richard Stocktons heartfelt compassion for his fellow countrymen in dire need of everything was apparent in his letter as he was one of the few signers that actually traveled with the Continental Army. [29], Witherspoon was elected to the American Philosophical Society in 1789[35]. Witherspoon was opposed to the Jacobite rising of 1745-46. Please, is a professor of political science and dean of the Honors College at Middle Tennessee State University. His 1776 sermon "The Dominion of Providence over the Passions of Men" was published in many editions, and he was elected to the Continental Congress as part of the New Jersey delegation. Later that year he was elected to the Continental Congress in time to vote for R. H. Lee's Resolution for Independence. [8] Later days and legacy. Died on November 15, 1794 in Near Princeton, New Jersey, USA , United States. Richard Stocktons eldest son Richard became a New Jersey senator and Stocktons served in Congress for four generations. The Document | Parades and demonstrations, patriotic observances and celebrations, were held across the states. Stocktons high character and distinguished abilities preceded him and he was received by the most eminent men of the kingdom. Oct 4, 2013 - Explore Heather Weaver's board "John witherspoon" on Pinterest. [15] Thus, Witherspoon and his family emigrated to New Jersey in 1768. At the College of New Jersey, Witherspoon revised the moral philosophy curriculum, strengthened the college's commitment to natural philosophy, and positioned Princeton in the larger transatlantic world of the republic of letters. 67179. For Gods sake my dear sir, upon the receipt of this collect all the shoes and stockings you can, and send them off for Albany in light wagons; a couple of two horse wagons will bring a great many, which may be distributed among our several Regiments who will be all together at Tyconderoga in a few days if any breeches, gloves and coats be ready send them along; but do not wait for them if the shoes and stockings are ready, and the others notwe have dispatches from General Gates this morning informing that he hourly expects to be attacked by the Enemy; but our works are very strong and a Boom thrown across the water from Tyconderoga to prevent the enemies shipping from getting below us, therefore I trust with the blessing of Almighty God, that we shall disappoint their wishes and sanguinary purposesBut shall the brave troops from New Jersey stand in lines half leg deep in snow without shoes or stockingGod forbid. Father of Anne Witherspoon Smith; John William Witherspoon; Christian Witherspoon; James Witherspoon; Robert Witherspoon and 8 others; Barbara Witherspoon; John Knox Witherspoon, Jr.; Frances Ramsay; George Witherspoon; Infant Witherspoon; David Witherspoon; Mary Anne Woods and Frances Witherspoon less Witherspoon embraced the concepts of Scottish common sense realism, and while president of the College of New Jersey became an influential figure in the development of the United States' national character . Username and password are case sensitive. in New Orleans, Louisiana , United States (46 years), This form allows you to report an error or to submit additional information about this family tree: Reese WITHERSPOON (1976), Copyright Wikipdia authors - This article is under licence CC BY-SA 3.0. . Ranging in age from 26 (Edward Rutledge) to 70 (Benjamin Franklin), they were for the most part materially well-off in colonial society. [2] He would not live see his country win independence. Rodney knew very well that, now unable to go to England for treatment of his terrible cancer, he would die an early and horrible death. He was dispatched on a fact finding tour to the northern army. http://mtsu.edu/first-amendment/article/1233/john-witherspoon, The Free Speech Center operates with your generosity! One of her poems about General Washington, on the surrender of Lord Cornwallis, shows how highly Washington esteemed these complimentary writings by the letter he wrote Annis. The continental army had to depend on Congress and the states to provide for them, and help for the army was slow in coming if it came at all. He quickly sided with the patriots who favored independence, and in June 1776, he was elected to Congress. Washington and his wife, Martha, were frequent visitors to Morven. John's father was Richard "The Builder" Stockton. udinot (born Stockton), Abigail Pintard (born Stockton), Susanna Pintard (born Stockton), John Stockton, Rev. Exuberant citizens of Bowling Green, New York hauled down a large equestrian statue of George III and carried it to the Connecticut home of General Oliver Wolcott, a delegate to Congress. Born in 1723, he received the finest education available to a bright young gentleman of that era. [25] The next oldest son, John, graduated from Princeton in 1779, practiced medicine in South Carolina, and was lost at sea in 1795. In the days that followed, copies of the Declaration of Independence was posted throughout the 13 states and read in public places. The settled opinion among the American founding fathers, including Dr. Witherspoon, was that slavery would eventually disappear naturally within a generation. As the college's primary occupation at the time was training ministers, Witherspoon became a major leader of the early Presbyterian Church in America. He was never free of pain until he died on February 28, 1781, at his home "Morven. J. L. BELL is a Massachusetts writer who specializes in (among other things) the start of the American Revolution in and around Boston. Witherspoon Society, an organization of laypeople within the. Witherspoon Street, in: Princeton, New Jersey; Pomfret, John E.. '"Witherspoon, John" in. But a declining health, and a constitution worn out with application and with service, obliged him, shortly after, to retire from the line of public duty, and hath at length dismissed him from the world." Lives and fortunes were lost, but their sacred honor was never sacrificed. New Hampshire delegates voted first because they were from the northernmost colony. He can have no right either to take away life, or to make it insupportable by excessive labor. His son Richard "The Builder" bought 5,500 acres of land from William Penn in Princeton, New Jersey and settled there with his wife Susannah (nee Witham) Robinson. He helped organize Nassau Presbyterian Church in Princeton, New Jersey. In addition, part of the Battle of Princeton in 1777 was fought on the college campus the college was so badly damaged that it was closed for several years. He was a moderate with regard to Colonial autonomy. Richard Stockton was born near Princeton, on October 1, 1730. Dreading the possibility of war, on December 12, 1774; he drew up and sent to Lord Dartmouth, Secretary for the Colonies An Expedient for the Settlement of the American Disputes, a plan for self-government of America, independent of Parliament but owing allegiance to the Crown. And like Pictet, Witherspoon was eager to show that the truths of supernatural revelation could be squared with reason. He was later awarded a Doctorate of Divinity from the University of St. Andrews, in recognition of his theological skills. When he was finally freed, in a prisoner exchange, he was an invalid who died a short time later at the age of 51. He also made a mark in politics, serving as a member of the Continental Congress from 1776 until 1782. Located in Princeton, it promotes the application of fundamental principles of republican government and ordered liberty to contemporary problems through a variety of centers, research programs, seminars, consultations, and publications. At the age of 13, he entered college and at age 20, he was licensed to preach. Signers | Categories: Patriotic Service, New Jersey, American Revolution | American Founding Fathers | Signers of the Articles of Confederation | Signers of the United States Declaration of Independence | Presbyterian Ministers | Princeton University | NSDAR Patriot Ancestors, WIKITREE HOME | ABOUT | G2G FORUM | HELP | SEARCH. He died October 24, 1821. John Witherspoon (17231794) was the only clergyman to sign the Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation as well as serve at the convention that ratified the U.S. Constitution in New Jersey. Senators, and 49 United States congressmen. In the months that followed, impassioned speeches were delivered from New Hampshire to Georgia, and the political tension became almost unbearable. In 1777, his son was killed at the Battle of Germantown, and later that year, the British burned their home. They had ten children, only five surviving to adulthood. This address, from a person of your refined taste and elegance of expression, affords a pleasure beyond my powers of utterance, and I have only to lament that the hero of your pastoral is not more deserving of your pen; but the circumstance shall be placed among the happiest events of my life. "His Majesty can now read my name without spectacles, and can now double his reward of 500 pounds for my head. 1823, SOURCE: The Society of the Descendants of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence. Witherspoon immediately declared "It is not only ripe for the measure, but in danger of rotting for the want of it." Witherspoon became the only clergyman to sign the Declaration of Independence. WIKITREE PROTECTS MOST SENSITIVE INFORMATION BUT ONLY TO THE EXTENT STATED IN THE TERMS OF SERVICE AND PRIVACY POLICY. The main building, Nassau Hall, was badly damaged, and his papers and personal notes were lost. When John Witherspoon was born in 1730, in County Down, Ireland, his father, Robert Witherspoon, was 25 and his mother, Mary Stuart, was 21. In January, however, a sensational pamphlet appeared in Philadelphia and stirred more revolutionary fervor than anything that had been written to that time. One of Reese ancestors, John Witherspoon, was one of those who signed the Declaration of Independence. Seat 7 to which the Hon. In Princeton a rumor started by Mr. Cochran, a Tory, claiming Stockton had taken General Howe's protection caused Stockton to be spoken against for a short time, but "Mr Cochran's known quarrel with him makes it very doubtful to candid persons" Rev. Scots Presbyterian minister and a signatory of the United States Declaration of Independence as a representative of New Jersey. Jefferson's Account | That risk was not only substantial, it was imminent. She later had second thoughts, and a visit from the charming Dr. Witherspoon was responsible for its reconstruction after the war, which caused him great personal and financial difficulty. In November, 1776, he shut down and then evacuated the College of New Jersey at the approach of British forces. Norton and Company, Inc.; 1972 page 195:British officers and rebels agreed the proclamation of November 30 had been a failure. General Washington ordered that the document be read to each Army brigade on July 9th, and he reported afterwards to Congress on "the expressions and behavior of officers and men testifying their warmest and approbation of it." Francis Lewis was away when the British ransacked his home, so they seized his wife, treated her brutally, and threw her into prison under foul conditions. He died February 28, 1781; his remains were conveyed to Nassau Hall and eulogized by the President of the College of New Jersey, Dr. Samuel Smith If what honors this young country can bestow, if many and great personal talents could save man from the graveBehold here the end of all perfectionto have been a son of this college and it was one the first honors of this college to have given birth to such a son a man who has long been foremost in his country, for power, for wisdom, and for fortune Another of the fathers of learning and eloquence is gone. Politically active, Witherspoon was a delegate from New Jersey to the Second Continental Congress and a signatory to the July 4, 1776, Declaration of Independence. In 1912, after her mother married John William Coleman, the family moved into the city of Atlanta. Because of Stocktons poor health and the parole requiring him not to participate in the war effort he resigned from Congress. A bronze statue at Princeton University by Scottish sculptor Alexander Stoddart is the twin of one outside The University of the West of Scotland, Paisley, Scotland. Witherspoon's mother's name has alternatively been spelled as "Anna Walker". 2009. Rush secured the deal. Many men of influence were opposed to independence, preferring to return to the relationship of a dozen years earlier. He read it, and the simple ceremony was over. So terribly was he ravaged by the disease that he wore a green silk scarf over part of his face, and was described by one colleague as "an animated skeleton, with a bandaged head.". He also signed the 1774 Petition to the King. In 1774, he drafted and sent to Lord Dartmouth "a plan of self-government for America, independent of Parliament, without renouncing the Crown." A rest area on the southbound New Jersey Turnpike, south of Interstate 195, is named after Stockton. The passage of the Stamp Act of 1765 had infuriated many wealthy and influential colonists, and was responsible for beginning the storm that settled over that historic assembly in Philadelphia in July 1776. This article was originally published in 2009. John Witherspoon Joseph Hewes died in 1779, literally from overwork, a lonely man separated by principle from his Quaker friends and family. Witherspoon served in Congress from June 1776 until November 1782 and became one of its most influential members and a workhorse of prodigious energy. For the next 26 years, he would serve as Princeton's President, helping to make it a great institution for higher learning. 1898, Page 18Corner, George W. The Autobiography of Benjamin Rush. After Stockton's death, Annis, one of America's first published female poets, became a favorite correspondent of General Washington. Philip STOCKTON, Susanna STOCKTON, Hannah STOCKTON, Princeton, Mercer County, New Jersey, British Colonial America, Princeton, Mercer County, NJ, United States, Princeton, Mercer County, New Jersey, British America, Princeton, Mercer County, New Jersey, United States, Morven, Princeton Township, Mercer, New Jersey, United States, Princeton, Mercer, New Jersey, United States, Patriots - Daughters of the American Revolution, Richard Signer of US Declaration of Independence Stockton, Judge Richard Stockton (Signer of Declaration of Independence), Richard, Signer Of The Declaration Of Independence Stockton, Richard Signer Of Us Declaration Of Independence STOCKTON, http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/signers/stockton.htm, http://www.dsdi1776.com/signers-by-state/richard-stockton. He first took a moderate stance in the troubles between the colonies and England. If so, login to add it. Presidents of Princeton University. Photographic tour of John Witherspoon's grave at Princeton Cemetery. When the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in America met in 1789, 52 of the 188 delegates had studied under Witherspoon. [2], He was then moved to Provost Prison in New York where he was intentionally starved and subjected to freezing cold weather. He also firmed up entrance requirements. In his Lectures on Divinity, Rev. [John Witherspoon, Lectures on Moral Philosophy (Princeton, N.J.: Princeton Univ. John Witherspoon served with American Founding Fathers during the American Revolution. The wife of William Floyd escaped with her children by boat across Long Island Sound into Connecticut and died in 1781 without ever again seeing her home. Stockton was admitted to the bar in 1754 and soon rose to great distinction. His sons later moved from Hopewell, but his daughters' married men from the surrounding area. Following the war, Witherspoon devoted his life to rebuilding the College. He was called before the Board, took the Oath and was dismissed (It is noted that Stockton did not turn in any protection papers as was required if you signed Howe's Proclamation and were given a pardon). "I am a merchant of New York, but I am a Virginian first," he declared in the House of Burgesses. ", His remains were conveyed to Nassau Hall, where a large audience of citizens, friends and students of the college were in attendance. To which the witty Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania replied: "Yes, we must all hang together, or most assuredly, we shall all hang separately. Reason third, you can write ten times better than I can.". He remained at the University to study divinity. On his visit to Scotland he was entertained by the Earl of Levin and other noblemen at Edinburgh Castle and the freedom of the city was conferred on him. With the passage of the Stamp Act, such arguments were overcome by colonial backlash. Stockton's oldest son Richard was an eminent lawyer and later a Senator from New Jersey. The papers of John Witherspoon include correspondence between and Benjamin Franklin, John Jay, Benjamin Rush, Richard Stockton, and others, concerning his acceptance of the presidency of the College of New Jersey and his fundraising visit to Great Britain (1784); ms. biography of Witherspoon by Ashbel Green (1762-1848); and annotated copy of Thomas Crichton's . John Witherspoons American Revolution. He opened his law practice in Princeton in 1754, and later another in Newark and was recognized as one of the most eloquent lawyers in the colonies. He was born at Gifford which is the neighbouring parish to the one John Knox was born in. John Witherspoon arrived in Philadelphia to take their place as new members of Congress meeting at the State House (now Independence Hall). Born in 1723, he received the finest education available to a bright young gentleman of that era. John Witherspoon. It was a storm which had been building for more than a decade as the British Parliament and King George III imposed one oppressive measure after another on the colonies, increasing their taxes and decreasing their freedoms. Constitutional Convention of 1787, including Virginias James Madison, as well as scores of individuals who served as judges and justices, members of Congress, and members of state ratifying conventions. Witherspoon was a proponent of Christian values, his common sense approach to the public morality of civil magistrates was influenced by the ethics of Scottish philosophers Francis Hutcheson and Reid rather than Jonathan Edwards. Conditions were horrific in prison where over 12,000 men died in prison ships and prisons in New York compared with 4,435 battle casualties during the entire war. Documents of the American Revolution. As the College's primary occupation at the time was training ministers, Witherspoon became a leader of the early Presbyterian church in America. He also served twice in the New Jersey Legislature, and strongly supported the adoption of the United States Constitution during the New Jersey ratification debates. Tonight there was to be no rest for this weary patriot. He was not much concerned with politics, but applied his talents and person to the revolutionary cause when the day came. As of Fall 2022, the petition has garnered over 250 signatures in support of removing the statue on the basis that it is a distraction to the University's mission and makes community members uncomfortable because of Witherspoon's racist history. In 1969, the New Jersey Legislature passed legislation establishing a state college which was named after Stockton, to honor the memory of New Jersey's signer of the Declaration of Independence. He is co-editor of the. Witherspoon served in Congress from June 1777 until November 1784 and became one of its most influential members and a workhorse of prodigious energy. He is co-editor of the Encyclopedia of the First Amendment. Illinois University LibrariesCorner, George W., The Autobiography of Benjamin Rush. In November 1777, as British forces neared, Witherspoon closed and evacuated the College of New Jersey. The tyrannical actions of the Crown were quickly followed by measured and sometimes violent reactions from the colonists. Wife of Signer John Witherspoon Image: John Witherspoon John Witherspoon was born on February 5, 1722, at the village of Gifford, near Edinburgh, Scotland. Nonetheless, he became one of Scotland's leading Presbyterian ministers. Of particular interest to Witherspoon was the Crown's growing interference in the local and colonial affairs which previously had been the prerogatives and rights of the American authorities. 2006Gruber, Ira D., The Howe Brothers and the American Revolution. Like his father, John Stockton a founder of the College and trustee, Richard served as a trustee of the College of New Jersey for 24 years, as would his eldest son Richard. John Witherspoon was an American Founding Father, a noted clergyman, and an educator.He played an influential role in his home country of Scotland and in his adopted country, the United States.Witherspoon was the only clergyman to sign the Declaration of . He served on over 100 committees, most notably the powerful standing committees, the board of war and the committee on secret correspondence or foreign affairs. These changes helped the school be more on par with Harvard and Yale, soon transforming the college into a school that would equip the leaders of a revolutionary generation. In 1987, the LDS Reference Unit at the Family History Library, in Salt Lake City, compiled the "Founding Fathers Project." Doctor Samuel Finley at Nottingham Academy in Maryland, and then attended the College of New Jersey at Newark graduating in 1748 before the college relocated to Princeton. Trustees of Princeton University. Because of the parole document Stockton signed with General Howe to gain his freedom, and giving his word of honor not to meddle in the war (required to be given a parole), Stockton resigned from Congress. The Stocktons had six children. The colonies' most respected doctors, educators, and clergymen were numbered among their ranks. Seventeen signers lost everything they owned, and all of them were hunted as traitors, with most separated from their homes and families. George III. They had held a Stamp Act Congress in New York during September 1765, and that same year formed the Sons of Liberty, which one observer called, "a mob of gentlemen." Witherspoon was an early convert to the Patriot cause, and the British considered his college to be a seminary of sedition (Morrison 2005: 13). Press, 1912), p. 74], Witherspoon was firmly grounded in the Reformed tradition of High to Late Orthodoxy, embedded in the transatlantic Evangelical Awakening of the eighteenth century, and frustrated by the state of religion in the Scottish Kirk. Eleven delegates were prosperous merchants, nine were wealthy farmers or landowners, and 24 were lawyers or judges. Witherspoon has claimed descent from Scottish-born John Witherspoon, who signed the United States Declaration of Independence; however, this claim has not been verified by the Society of the Descendants of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence genealogists. "[7] 4,836 Declarations were subscribed but Stockton as a Signer of the Declaration of Independence and a leading rebel never did according to General Howe. 2008 - 2022 INTERESTING.COM, INC. John Witherspoon was a Scottish-American Presbyterian minister, educator, farmer, slaveholder, and a Founding Father of the United States. Such was the caliber of the men who signed the Declaration of Independence, the men who risked their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor to establish the American Republic and guarantee our rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. One of the most active members of the Continental Congress, Witherspoon advocated independence, served on a large number of committees, and authored a number of Resolutions of Prayer and Thanksgiving. John Adams Signer of the Declaration of Independence 2nd President of the United States of America An 19th century biography of this signer of the Declaration of Independence, including a handwriting sample, illustration, and student publishing opportunities These 56 men who spoke for two and a half million American free men were a spectacular group of individuals. On January 3, 1777, General George Washington was directed by Congress to protest against the shocking and inhuman treatment of the honorable Richard Stockton to General William Howe. External links:Richard Stockton at the Biographical Directory of the United States CongressBiography by Rev. This latter claim of Knox descent though ancient in origin is long disputed and without primary documentation. In fact, an ancestor, John Witherspoon, signed the Declaration of Independence. John attended the preparatory school in Haddington Scotland. The males in his family were all clergymen, and he was trained to become a Presbyterian minister. In John Trumbull's famous painting Declaration of Independence, Witherspoon is among those shown in the background facing the large table, the second seated figure from the viewer's right. The map below shows the places where the ancestors of the famous person lived. Witherspoon and his wife, Elizabeth Montgomery, had a total of 10 children, only five of whom survived to accompany their parents to America. -----------------------------------------------------------------. In 1780 he was elected to a one-year term in the New Jersey Legislative Council representing Somerset County. Moses Coit Tyler "President Witherspoon in the American Revolution" The American Historical Review Volume 1, Issue 1, July 1896. pp. He proceeded to Edinburgh where he attained a Master of Arts, then to four years of divinity school. On June 22nd 1778 he invited the American army to encamp on his farm. Stockton's treatment in the New York prison prompted Continental Congress to pass a resolution directing George Washington to inquire into the circumstances and not long afterward, Stockton was paroled on January 13, 1777. Heyward defied the guards by writing new words to "God Save the King" and teaching the other prisoners to sing, "God Save the States" to the old tune. Richard was silent during Adams speech and then listened with thoughtful and respectful attention to the arguments that were offered by supporters and opponents of the declaration under consideration. John Witherspoon would die on his farm near Princeton in 1794 at the age of 71. Elias Boudinot is responsible for our Thanksgiving Holiday, he proposed in 1789 in the United States House of Representatives, a resolution that we officially celebrate a day of public thanksgiving. American actress, producer, and entrepreneur, Born on March 22, 1976 After nearly five weeks of brutal treatment, Stockton was released on parole, his health ruined. John Stockton, Abigail Stockton (born Phillips), Hannah Boudinot (born Stockton), Susanna Pintard (born Stockton), Rev. Morrison, Jeffry H.. John Witherspoons Revolutionary Revolution. In The Founders on God and Government, ed. 03.12('53) DVD The Board had previously voted not to make the change, but reversed itself after local residents submitted a petition with more than 1,500 signatures and input gathered at two public forums, temporarily changing the name to the Princeton Unified Middle School until a permanent new name is identified. At the age of four, he could read the Bible. See more ideas about john witherspoon, declaration of independence, stone barns. Another statue stands near Dupont Circle in Washington, D.C., at the intersection of Connecticut Avenue, N Street and 18th Street. Witherspoon worked with fellow Presbyterians and Congregationalists to ensure that the Anglican Church did not become the established church of the new nation as it had been in some of the states, but he believed that members of the clergy had the same right to participate in politics as others did. Witherspoon owned slaves and lectured against the abolition of slavery.[28]. Stockton was an active and influential member of Congress. Born: February 15, 1723. No one changed his mind. The practice of ancient nations, of making their prisoners of war slaves, was altogether unjust and barbarous; for though we could suppose that those who were the causes of an unjust war deserved to be made slaves; yet this could not be the case of all who fought on their side; besides the doing so in one instance would authorize the doing it in any other; and those who fought in defense of their country, when unjustly invaded, might be taken as well as others. Have you taken a DNA test? Dr. Benjamin Rush wrote: The whole of Mr. Stocktons furniture, apparel, and even valuable writings have been burnt. An error has occured while loading the map. At Princeton, he mentored constitutional architect James Madison; as a New Jersey delegate to the Continental Congress, he was the only clergyman to sign the Declaration of Independence. When Parliament resolved to raise revenue in the colonies in 1775, Stockton declared the colonies "must each of them send one or two of their most ingenious fellows, and enable them to get into the House of Commons, maintain them there till they can maintain themselves, or else we shall be fleeced to some purpose." In 1764, Stockton became the Grand Master of the first chartered Masonic lodge (St. Johns No 1) in Princeton, New Jersey. Firm but good-humored in his leadership, Witherspoon was very popular among both faculty and students. [11] During his two pastorates he wrote three well-known works on theology, notably the satire "Ecclesiastical Characteristics" (1753),[12] which opposed the philosophical influence of Francis Hutcheson.[13]. Lately Stockton has been maligned by a few writers claiming that Stockton took a pardon from General Howe and swore allegiance to the king. Scotland's DNA Like John Adams and Patrick Henry, he was an outspoken Patriot, advocating independence from Great Britain. After resting and preparing for battle the troops left on the 24th. He held to old concepts from the Roman Republic of virtuous leadership by civil magistrates, but he also regularly recommended that his students read such modern philosophers as Machiavelli, Montesquieu, and David Hume, even though he disapproved of Hume's "infidel" stance on religion. Family Court 1st Judicial Circuit, . John Witherspoon participated in the American Revolution. In 1776, Stockton was elected to the Continental Congress, where he took a very active role. His wife was poet Annis Boudinot Stockton, sister of New Jersey statesman Elias Boudinot. Politically active, Witherspoon was a delegate from New Jersey to the Second Continental Congress and a signatory to the July 4, 1776, Declaration of Independence. ", On July 3rd, Jefferson's draft of the Declaration was submitted to the delegates from the 13 Colonies, and he suffered the pain of all authors at the hands of editors - in this case, half a hundred of them. A son-in-law was Congressman David Ramsay, who married Frances Witherspoon on 18 March 1783. The black gowned students of Princeton surrounded the door to Nassau Hall and cheered as Washington entered. Madam, Your favor of the 17th, conveying to me your pastoral on the subject of Lord Cornwallis capture, has given me great satisfaction. The British considered his college to be a "seminary of sedition." (Painting by Charles Willson Peale, public domain via Wikimedia Commons) There is absolutely no proof this occurred. Thus, public morality owed more to the natural moral laws of the Enlightenment than to revealed Christianity. Witherspoon eschewed politics in America until 1774, but after that he steadily participated, directly and indirectly, in the leading events of the day. On July 2, 1776, the day of the vote on independence, another delegate claimed that America wasn't yet ripe enough for independence. Joseph Hewes of North Carolina was a Quaker with a long pacifist heritage, and for many months he sided with those in Congress who were opposed to independence. Son of Honorable John Stockton and Abigail Stockton John Witherspoon (February 5, 1723 - November 15, 1794) was a Scottish-American Presbyterian minister, educator, farmer, slaveholder, and a Founding Father of the United States. At the age of four, he could read the Bible. He said that the task should fall to his rival Jefferson on three counts: "Reason first, you are a Virginian, and Virginia ought to appear at the head of this business. John Witherspoon (1723-1794) was a Scottish-born American Presbyterian divine and educator. The duties on each side. He was the only active clergyman and the only college president to sign the Declaration. On September 26, 1776, he and fellow signer George Clymer of Pennsylvania were sent on an arduous journey of nearly two months duration to inspect the northern army. On July 2, 1776, the day of the vote on independence, another delegate claimed that America wasn't yet ripe enough for independence. Stockton slowly regained his health and returned to his law practice to support his family but later developed cancer. Americans prominently involved with First Amendment issues, prohibited clergymen from serving in the state legislature, http://mtsu.edu/first-amendment/article/1233/john-witherspoon. Like Benedict Pictet (1655-1724), Witherspoon held firmly to the tenets of confessional Calvinism. Witherspoon accepted the impossibility of maintaining public morality or virtue in the citizenry without an effective religion. He first took a moderate stance in the troubles between the colonies and Great Britain. (Image courtesy of the Architect of the Capitol) UCF lecturer David Head barely needs notes to teach the course U.S. History: 1492-1877. Adair, "James Madison", Fame and the Founding Fathers, ed. Stockton was sick and near death when he returned home. Besides paper documents, it is one of four still-existing objects that were present during the Constitutional Convention, along with the Liberty Bell, the chair that George Washington sat in as the Constitutional Convention's . Witherspoon instituted a number of reforms, including modeling the syllabus and university structure after that used at the University of St. Andrews and other Scottish universities. Follow the life of John Witherspoon, delegate to the Continental Congress and one of 56 signers, who bravely proclaimed the original thirteen colonies would . Witherspoon is not quite the hick she makes herself out to be, at least offscreen. Philip Stockton, Susanna Pintard, Oct 1 1730 - Morven, Princeton, New Jersey, Feb 28 1781 - Morven, Princeton, New Jersey, Annis Stockton (Signer Of Declaration Of Independence) (born Boudinot), Oct 1 1730 - Princeton, Mercer, New Jersey, United States, Feb 28 1781 - Princeton, Mercer, New Jersey, United States, dinot Rush (born Stockton), Mary Stockton, Susan Stockton, Lucius Horatio Stockton, Abigal Field, Abigail Stockton, Stockton, Hon. Elias Boudinot was married to Stockton's sister Hannah Stockton (17361808). Reese father earned his living as a surgeon and her mother was a college professor. Please enable JavaScript in your browser's settings to use this part of Geni. John Hart, at the insistence of his dying wife, finally left her bedside to flee as a party of Hessians approached his farm. There was no place to acquire these items and unfortunately no money to purchase them with if they were to be found. Despite this precaution, it is probable that the British government and their Tory allies knew the names of every signer long before they were released to the public. He was a longtime friend of George Washington. Brother of Captain David Witherspoon; Susan Ann Witherspoon; Josias Witherspoon; James Alexander Witherspoon, IV and Margaret Ann Witherspoon, A Patriot of the American Revolution for NEW JERSEY. John Knox Witherspoon, Signer of the & Princeton, Mercer, New Jersey, United States, President of College of New Jersey [present Princeton], Presbyterian minister, Signer of Declaration Of Independance, Elizabeth Montgomery (29 May 1722 - 1 October 1789), Anne Witherspoon (23 July 1749 - 1 April 1817), Christian Witherspoon, d.s.p. It took nearly two years to regain his health according to Dr. Rev. Washington had lunch with him, then had his famous Council of War at the nearby Hunt House. The first complete facsimile printingtext and signatureswas by commissioned by the State Department in 1823. 1953. 1777."[10]. Family tree of John WITHERSPOON. IMPORTANT PRIVACY NOTICE & DISCLAIMER: YOU HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO USE CAUTION WHEN DISTRIBUTING PRIVATE INFORMATION. This painting by artist John Trumbull depicts the moment on June 28, 1776, when the first draft of the Declaration of Independence was presented to the Second Continental Congress. The darkest days of his life were spent locked in irons, starving and shivering in the cold winter of 1776-77 in the notorious Provost prison in New York City. Stockton was six feet tall, with green eyes and a slender yet powerful build of an accomplished swordsman and horseman. Only John Hancock signed the declaration that day, and a formal signing by all the delegates was scheduled for August 2nd. In 1774, he drafted and sent to Lord Dartmouth "a plan of self-government for America, independent of Parliament, without renouncing allegiance to the Crown.". While he at first abstained from political concerns, he came to support the revolutionary cause, accepting appointment to the committees of correspondence and safety in early 1776. From 1758 to 1768, he was minister of the Laigh Kirk, Paisley (Low Kirk). For two generations his family had been Quakers, and it was his wish to be buried at the Stony Brook Meeting House Cemetery in Princeton. Unanimity was essential, so Edward Rutledge of South Carolina moved that a final vote be postponed until the following day. Stockton was admitted to the bar in 1754, to the grade of counselor in 1758, and in 1763, he received the degree of Sergeant-at-Law the highest degree of law attainable. "Well," said Jefferson, "if you are decided, I will do as well as I can. "The remains of a man who hath been long among the foremost of his country, for power, for wisdom, and for fortune; and who, if what honors this young country can bestow, if many and great personal talents, could save man from the grave, would not thus have been lamented here by you. Address: 11-15 Wiggins St Princeton, NJ 08542. DAR Ancestor # A127172. This page was last edited on 8 January 2023, at 19:20. The University's Committee on Naming is reviewing a proposal to remove or replace a campus statue of John Witherspoon, an influential figure in the American Revolution who owned slaves during his time as Princeton's president. Richard was a son of John Stockton (1701-1758) the wealthy Princeton landowner who donated land and helped bring what is now Princeton University (then known as the College of New Jersey located in Newark) to Princeton, New Jersey. Named after John Witherspoon, one of the signers of the United States Declaration of Independence, the . in Near Princeton, New Jersey, USA , United States, This form allows you to report an error or to submit additional information about this family tree: John WITHERSPOON (1723), Copyright Wikipdia authors - This article is under licence CC BY-SA 3.0. The time had come to vote again on Richard Henry Lee's resolution. Reason second, I am obnoxious, suspected, and unpopular; you are very much otherwise. He was the only active clergyman and the only college president to sign the Declaration. Page 130Glynn, John C., His Sacred Honor Judge Richard Stockton A Signer of the Declaration of Independence, Eveready Press, 2006. After the death of Mrs. Witherspoon, the Doctor, at the age of seventy, married a young woman of twenty-three, an alliance which occasioned much gossip and noise in the neighborhood and family circle. Fleming H. Revell Company: 1906. Please try again. As previously mentioned, he educated a great number of future American leaders, and his strong support for democracy and republicanism was transmitted to his students. He fought against the flood of paper money and opposed the issuance of bonds without provision for their amortization. John is 15 degrees from Margaret Atwood, 18 degrees from Jim Carrey, 16 degrees from Elsie Knott, 19 degrees from Gordon Lightfoot, 20 degrees from Alton Parker, 22 degrees from Beatrice Tillman, 18 degrees from Jenny Trout, 18 degrees from Justin Trudeau, 19 degrees from Edwin Boyd, 16 degrees from Barbara Hanley, 25 degrees from Fanny Rosenfeld and 17 degrees from Cathryn Hondros on our single family tree. He married Elizabeth Montgomery on 2 September 1748, in Scotland, United Kingdom. The British invaded New Jersey and Stockton rushed home and moved his family to the home of a friend thirty miles from Princeton. Her father Elias Boudinot Sr, apprenticed as a silversmith and merchant, then traveled to the West Indies to run a plantation. On Tuesday, May 11th 1779, he died at the age of 66. An outspoken advocate of American independence, Rodney was exhausted from many months of battling Delaware's Tories while building up and drilling the colony's militia. The practice was also impolitic, as slaves never are so good or faithful servants, as those who become so for a limited time by consent. This was an exceedingly important event in the history of higher education in America. He remained at the university to study divinity. Witherspoon took a very active role in the debates regarding the Articles of Confederation. In 1776, Stockton was elected to the Second Continental Congress, where he took a very active role. Witherspoon advocated for "gradual emancipation" of slaves. McKean and George Read, the other two representatives from Delaware, were split on the issue of independence and Caesar Rodney's vote was needed if Delaware was to join the United States of America. Thus had the stage been set as Caesar Rodney galloped up Chestnut Street to the State House in Philadelphia on the morning of July 2nd. Encyclopedia Table of Contents | Case Collections | Academic Freedom | Recent News, John Witherspoon, an early convert to the Patriot cause, was president of the College of New Jersey (today's Princeton University) and the only clergyman to sign the Declaration of Independence. Princeton University Press, 1948. In this sense, the temporal principles of morality required a religious component which derived its authority from the spiritual. Dr. Betty Witherspoon earned three degrees in total, including a Ph.D in education. Dr. Witherspoon enjoyed great success at the College of New Jersey. He also served twice in the New Jersey Legislature and strongly supported the adoption of the United States Constitution during the New Jersey ratification debates. Born in Scotland to a family of clergymen, he was trained to become a Presbyterian minister. BYU Law Review 2003 (2003): 891-940. The College of New Jersey needed a first rate scholar to serve as its first president. After the Revolutionary War, he continued to serve as President of the College of New Jersey, but spend several years working to rebuild the college. Last May, five members of the philosophy . "[5], Howe's Document that Stockton signed giving his word of honor not to meddle in the American affairs during the war was the parole Benjamin Rush said Richard Stockton was given when he was released from prison in New York.[6]. To sign the Declaration Government, ed an exceedingly important event in the Founders on God Government... 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