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'''George Read''' (September 18, 1733 - September 21, 1798) was an American lawyer and politician from [[New Castle, Delaware|New Castle]], in [[New Castle County, Delaware|New Castle County]], [[Delaware]]. He was a signer of the [[ | '''George Read''' (September 18, 1733 - September 21, 1798) was an American lawyer and politician from [[New Castle, Delaware|New Castle]], in [[New Castle County, Delaware|New Castle County]], [[Delaware (U.S. state)|Delaware]]. He was a signer of the [[U.S. Declaration of Independence]] , a [[Continental Congress]]man from Delaware, a delegate to the [[U.S. Constitutional Convention]] of 1787, [[Governor of Delaware|President of Delaware]], and a member of the [[Federalist Party]], who served as [[United States Senate|U.S. Senator]] from Delaware and [[Delaware Superior Court|Chief Justice of Delaware]]. | ||
===Early life and family=== | ===Early life and family=== | ||
Read was born in [[Cecil County, Maryland|Cecil County]], [[Maryland]], near [[North East, Maryland|North East]], the son of John and Mary Howell Read. John Read was a wealthy English resident of [[Dublin, Ireland|Dublin]], | Read was born in [[Cecil County, Maryland|Cecil County]], [[Maryland (U.S. state)|Maryland]], near [[North East, Maryland|North East]], the son of John and Mary Howell Read. John Read was a wealthy English resident of [[Dublin, Ireland|Dublin]], Ireland who came to [[Maryland (U.S. state)|Maryland]] as a young man and was one of the founders of [[Charlestown, Maryland|Charlestown]], [[Maryland (U.S. state)|Maryland]] in [[Cecil County, Maryland|Cecil County]]. When George Read was an infant the family moved to [[New Castle County, Delaware|New Castle County]], [[Delaware (U.S. state)|Delaware]], settling near the village of Christiana. As he grew up, Read joined [[Thomas McKean]] at the Rev. Francis Alison's Academy at [[New London Township, Pennsylvania|New London]], [[Pennsylvania (U.S. state)|Pennsylvania]] and then studied law in [[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania|Philadelphia]] with John Moland. He was admitted to the [[Pennsylvania (U.S. state)|Pennsylvania]] [[bar association|Bar]] in 1753 and a year later he returned home to establish a practice at [[New Castle, Delaware|New Castle]], [[Delaware (U.S. state)|Delaware]]. | ||
In 1763 Read married Gertrude Ross Till, daughter of the Rev. George Ross, the [[Episcopal Church in the United States of America|Anglican]] rector of Immanuel Church in [[New Castle, Delaware|New Castle]], and widowed sister of [[George Ross (delegate)|George Ross]], also a future signer of the [[ | In 1763 Read married Gertrude Ross Till, daughter of the Rev. George Ross, the [[Episcopal Church in the United States of America|Anglican]] rector of Immanuel Church in [[New Castle, Delaware|New Castle]], and widowed sister of [[George Ross (delegate)|George Ross]], also a future signer of the [[U.S. Declaration of Independence]]. They had five children, John, George Jr., William, John, and Mary, who married [[Gunning Bedford, Sr.]], a future [[Governor of Delaware]]. They lived on The Strand in [[New Castle, Delaware|New Castle]]. Their house was in what is now the garden of the present [[Read House and Gardens]], owned by the [[Delaware Historical Society]]. They were members of Immanuel [[Episcopal Church in the United States of America|Episcopal Church]]. | ||
In 1763 [[John Penn (governor)|John Penn]], the [[List of Lieutenant Governors of Colonial Pennsylvania|Proprietary Governor]], appointed Read Crown [[Attorney General]] for the three Delaware counties and he served in that position until leaving for the [[Continental Congress]] in 1774. He also served in the [[Delaware General Assembly|Colonial Assembly of the Lower Counties]] for twelve sessions, from 1764/65 through 1775/76. | In 1763 [[John Penn (governor)|John Penn]], the [[List of Lieutenant Governors of Colonial Pennsylvania|Proprietary Governor]], appointed Read Crown [[Attorney General]] for the three Delaware counties and he served in that position until leaving for the [[Continental Congress]] in 1774. He also served in the [[Delaware General Assembly|Colonial Assembly of the Lower Counties]] for twelve sessions, from 1764/65 through 1775/76. | ||
===American Revolution=== | ===American Revolution=== | ||
Eighteenth century [[Delaware]] was politically divided into loose factions known as the "Court Party" and the "Country Party." The majority Court Party was generally [[Episcopal Church in the United States of America|Anglican]], strongest in [[Kent County, Delaware|Kent County]] and [[Sussex County, Delaware|Sussex County]], worked well with the colonial [[Proprietary]] government, and was in favor of reconciliation with the [[Kingdom of Great Britain|British]] government. The minority Country Party was largely [[Scots-Irish American|Ulster-Scot]], centered in [[New Castle County, Delaware|New Castle County]], and quickly advocated independence from the [[Kingdom of Great Britain|British]]. Read was often the leader of the Court party faction, and as such, he generally worked in opposition to [[Caesar Rodney]] and his friend and neighbor, [[Thomas McKean]]. | Eighteenth century [[Delaware (U.S. state)|Delaware]] was politically divided into loose factions known as the "Court Party" and the "Country Party." The majority Court Party was generally [[Episcopal Church in the United States of America|Anglican]], strongest in [[Kent County, Delaware|Kent County]] and [[Sussex County, Delaware|Sussex County]], worked well with the colonial [[Proprietary]] government, and was in favor of reconciliation with the [[Kingdom of Great Britain|British]] government. The minority Country Party was largely [[Scots-Irish American|Ulster-Scot]], centered in [[New Castle County, Delaware|New Castle County]], and quickly advocated independence from the [[Kingdom of Great Britain|British]]. Read was often the leader of the Court party faction, and as such, he generally worked in opposition to [[Caesar Rodney]] and his friend and neighbor, [[Thomas McKean]]. | ||
Read, therefore, like most people in [[Delaware]], was very much in favor of trying to reconcile differences with [[Great Britain]]. He opposed the [[Stamp Act]] and similar measures of Parliament, and supported anti-importation measures and dignified protests, but was quite reluctant to pursue the option of outright independence. Nevertheless, from 1764 he led the Delaware [[Committee of Correspondence]] and was elected to serve along with the more radical [[Thomas McKean]] and [[Caesar Rodney]] in the First and Second [[Continental Congress]] from 1774 through 1777. He was frequently absent though, and when the Congress voted on American Independence on [[July 2]], | Read, therefore, like most people in [[Delaware (U.S. state)|Delaware]], was very much in favor of trying to reconcile differences with [[Great Britain]]. He opposed the [[Stamp Act]] and similar measures of Parliament, and supported anti-importation measures and dignified protests, but was quite reluctant to pursue the option of outright independence. Nevertheless, from 1764 he led the Delaware [[Committee of Correspondence]] and was elected to serve along with the more radical [[Thomas McKean]] and [[Caesar Rodney]] in the First and Second [[Continental Congress]] from 1774 through 1777. He was frequently absent though, and when the Congress voted on American Independence on [[July 2]], 1776, Read surprised many by voting against it. This meant [[Caesar Rodney]] had to ride overnight to [[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania|Philadelphia]] to break the deadlock in [[Delaware (U.S. state)|Delaware]]'s delegation in favor of independence. However, when the [[U.S. Declaration of Independence]] was finally adopted, Read signed it, joining the cause in spite of his natural caution. | ||
===Government of Delaware=== | ===Government of Delaware=== | ||
Anticipating the [[ | Anticipating the [[U.S. Declaration of Independence]], the [[Delaware General Assembly|General Assembly]] of the Lower Counties declared its separation from the [[Kingdom of Great Britain|British]] government on June 15, 1776. Once the [[U.S. Declaration of Independence]] was actually adopted, the [[Delaware General Assembly|General Assembly]] called for elections to a [[Delaware (U.S. state)|Delaware]] constitutional convention to draft a constitution for the new state. Read was elected to this convention, became its President, and guided the passage of the [[Thomas McKean]] -drafted document, which became the [[Delaware Constitution of 1776]]. | ||
Read was then elected to the first [[Delaware Senate|Legislative Council]] of the [[Delaware General Assembly]] and was selected as the [[Speaker (politics)|Speaker]] in both the 1776/77 and 1777/78 sessions. At the time of the capture of [[Governor of Delaware|President]] [[John McKinly]], Read was in [[Philadelphia]] attending Congress, and after narrowly escaping capture himself while returning home, he became President on October 20, 1777, serving until March 31, 1778. During these months the [[Kingdom of Great Britain|British]] occupied [[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania|Philadelphia]] and were in control of the [[Delaware River]]. Read tried, mostly in vain, to recruit additional soldiers and protect the state from raiders from [[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania|Philadelphia]] and off ships in the [[Delaware River]]. The [[Delaware General Assembly]] session of 1777/78 had to be moved to [[Dover, Delaware|Dover]], [[Delaware]] for safety and the [[Sussex County, Delaware|Sussex County]] [[Delaware General Assembly|General Assembly]] delegation was never seated because disruptions at the polls had negated the election results. | Read was then elected to the first [[Delaware Senate|Legislative Council]] of the [[Delaware General Assembly]] and was selected as the [[Speaker (politics)|Speaker]] in both the 1776/77 and 1777/78 sessions. At the time of the capture of [[Governor of Delaware|President]] [[John McKinly]], Read was in [[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania|Philadelphia]] attending Congress, and after narrowly escaping capture himself while returning home, he became President on October 20, 1777, serving until March 31, 1778. During these months the [[Kingdom of Great Britain|British]] occupied [[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania|Philadelphia]] and were in control of the [[Delaware River]]. Read tried, mostly in vain, to recruit additional soldiers and protect the state from raiders from [[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania|Philadelphia]] and off ships in the [[Delaware River]]. The [[Delaware General Assembly]] session of 1777/78 had to be moved to [[Dover, Delaware|Dover]], [[Delaware (U.S. state)|Delaware]] for safety and the [[Sussex County, Delaware|Sussex County]] [[Delaware General Assembly|General Assembly]] delegation was never seated because disruptions at the polls had negated the election results. | ||
After [[Caesar Rodney]] was elected to replace him as President, Read continued to serve in the [[Delaware Senate| Legislative Council]] through the 1778/79 session. After a one-year rest nursing ill health, he was elected to the [[Delaware House of Representatives|House of Assembly]] for the 1780/81 and 1781/82 sessions. He returned to the [[Delaware Senate|Legislative Council]] in the 1782/83 session and served two terms, through the 1787/88 session. In 1782 he was appointed Judge of the Court of Appeals in admiralty cases. | After [[Caesar Rodney]] was elected to replace him as President, Read continued to serve in the [[Delaware Senate| Legislative Council]] through the 1778/79 session. After a one-year rest nursing ill health, he was elected to the [[Delaware House of Representatives|House of Assembly]] for the 1780/81 and 1781/82 sessions. He returned to the [[Delaware Senate|Legislative Council]] in the 1782/83 session and served two terms, through the 1787/88 session. In 1782 he was appointed Judge of the Court of Appeals in admiralty cases. | ||
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|''non-partisan'' | |''non-partisan'' | ||
|Samuel West | |[[Samuel West]] | ||
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{{end box}} | {{end box}} | ||
===U.S. Constitutional Convention=== | ===U.S. Constitutional Convention=== | ||
Read was again called to national service in 1786 when he represented [[Delaware]] at the [[Annapolis Convention (1786)|Annapolis Convention]]. Because so few states were represented, this meeting produced only a report calling for a broader convention to be held in [[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania|Philadelphia]] the next year. | Read was again called to national service in 1786 when he represented [[Delaware (U.S. state)|Delaware]] at the [[Annapolis Convention (1786)|Annapolis Convention]]. Because so few states were represented, this meeting produced only a report calling for a broader convention to be held in [[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania|Philadelphia]] the next year. | ||
At what became the [[Philadelphia Convention|Constitutional Convention of 1787]], Read again represented [[Delaware]]. Quoting from Wright & Morris in their ''Soldier-Statesmen of the Constitution'', <blockquote>"Read immediately argued for a new national government under a new Constitution, saying 'to amend the [[Articles of Confederation|Articles]] was simply putting old cloth on a new garment.' He was a leader in the fight for a strong central government, advocating, at one time, the abolition of the states altogether and the consolidation of the country under one powerful national government. 'Let no one fear the states, the people are with us;' he declared to a Convention shocked by this radical proposal. With no one to support his motion, he settled for protecting the rights of the small states against the infringements of their larger, more populous neighbors who, he feared, would 'probably combine to swallow up the smaller ones by addition, division or impoverishment.' He warned that Delaware 'would become at once a cipher in the union' if the principle of equal representation embodied in the New Jersey (small-state) Plan was not adopted and if the method of amendment in the [[Articles of Confederation|Articles]] was not retained. He favored giving Congress the right to vote state laws, making the federal legislature immune to popular whims by having senators hold office for nine years or during good behavior, and granting the [[President of the United States|U.S. President]] broad appointive powers. Outspoken, he threatened to lead the [[Delaware]] delegation out of the Convention if the rights of the small states were not specifically guaranteed in the new Constitution."</blockquote> Once those rights were assured, he led the ratification movement in [[Delaware]] which, partly as a result of his efforts, became the first state to ratify. | At what became the [[Philadelphia Convention|Constitutional Convention of 1787]], Read again represented [[Delaware (U.S. state)|Delaware]]. Quoting from Wright & Morris in their ''Soldier-Statesmen of the Constitution'', <blockquote>"Read immediately argued for a new national government under a new Constitution, saying 'to amend the [[Articles of Confederation|Articles]] was simply putting old cloth on a new garment.' He was a leader in the fight for a strong central government, advocating, at one time, the abolition of the states altogether and the consolidation of the country under one powerful national government. 'Let no one fear the states, the people are with us;' he declared to a Convention shocked by this radical proposal. With no one to support his motion, he settled for protecting the rights of the small states against the infringements of their larger, more populous neighbors who, he feared, would 'probably combine to swallow up the smaller ones by addition, division or impoverishment.' He warned that Delaware 'would become at once a cipher in the union' if the principle of equal representation embodied in the New Jersey (small-state) Plan was not adopted and if the method of amendment in the [[Articles of Confederation|Articles]] was not retained. He favored giving Congress the right to vote state laws, making the federal legislature immune to popular whims by having senators hold office for nine years or during good behavior, and granting the [[President of the United States of America|U.S. President]] broad appointive powers. Outspoken, he threatened to lead the [[Delaware (U.S. state)|Delaware]] delegation out of the Convention if the rights of the small states were not specifically guaranteed in the new Constitution."</blockquote> Once those rights were assured, he led the ratification movement in [[Delaware (U.S. state)|Delaware]] which, partly as a result of his efforts, became the first state to ratify. | ||
===United States Senator=== | ===United States Senator=== | ||
Following the adoption of the [[United States Constitution|Federal Constitution of 1787]], the [[Delaware General Assembly]] elected Read as one of its two [[United States Senate|U.S. Senators]]. His term began March 4, 1789, he was reelected in 1791, and resigned September 18, 1793. Read served with the [[Federalist Party (United States)|pro-administration]] majority in the [[1st United States Congress|1st]] and [[2nd United States Congress|2nd Congress]], during the administration of [[President of the United States|U.S. President]] [[George Washington]]. As Senator he supported the assumption of state debts, establishment of a national bank, and the imposition of excise taxes. He resigned as Senator to accept an appointment as [[Chief Justice]] of the [[Delaware Supreme Court]] and served in that capacity until his death. | Following the adoption of the [[United States Constitution|Federal Constitution of 1787]], the [[Delaware General Assembly]] elected Read as one of its two [[United States Senate|U.S. Senators]]. His term began March 4, 1789, he was reelected in 1791, and resigned September 18, 1793. Read served with the [[Federalist Party (United States)|pro-administration]] majority in the [[1st United States Congress|1st]] and [[2nd United States Congress|2nd Congress]], during the administration of [[President of the United States of America|U.S. President]] [[George Washington]]. As Senator he supported the assumption of state debts, establishment of a national bank, and the imposition of excise taxes. He resigned as Senator to accept an appointment as [[Chief Justice]] of the [[Delaware Supreme Court]] and served in that capacity until his death. | ||
Read's resignation from the [[United States Senate|U.S. Senate]] was before the first session of the [[Third United States Congress|3rd Congress]] assembled, but it was not until February 7, 1795, 4 weeks before it adjourned, that [[Henry Latimer]] was elected to replace him. One of Delaware's [[United States Senate|U.S. Senate]] seats was, therefore, vacant from September 18, 1793 until February 7, 1795. | Read's resignation from the [[United States Senate|U.S. Senate]] was before the first session of the [[Third United States Congress|3rd Congress]] assembled, but it was not until February 7, 1795, 4 weeks before it adjourned, that [[Henry Latimer]] was elected to replace him. One of Delaware's [[United States Senate|U.S. Senate]] seats was, therefore, vacant from September 18, 1793 until February 7, 1795. | ||
===Death and legacy=== | ===Death and legacy=== | ||
Read died September 21, 1798 at [[New Castle, Delaware|New Castle]], [[Delaware]] and was buried there, at the Immanuel [[Episcopal Church in the United States of America|Episcopal Church]] Cemetery. | Read died September 21, 1798 at [[New Castle, Delaware|New Castle]], [[Delaware (U.S. state)|Delaware]] and was buried there, at the Immanuel [[Episcopal Church in the United States of America|Episcopal Church]] Cemetery. | ||
William T. Reid in his ''Life and Correspondence'' described Read as "tall, slightly and gracefully formed, with pleasing features and lustrous brown eyes. His manners were dignified, bordering upon austerity, but courteous, and at times captivating. He commanded entire confidence, not only from his profound legal knowledge, sound judgment, and impartial decisions, but from his severe integrity and the purity of his private character." However, a fellow delegate to the [[Philadelphia Convention|Constitutional Convention of 1787]] noted that "his legal abilities are said to be very great, but his powers of oratory are fatiguing and tiresome to the last degree; his voice is feeble and his articulation so bad that few can have patience to attend him." Historians like John Munroe have generally recognized that all in all, Read was the dominating figure in Delaware politics during his career, directly or indirectly providing consistent and reliable leadership to the new state.<ref>{{cite book |title=History of Delaware |last=Munroe |first=John A. |year=1993 }}</ref> | William T. Reid in his ''Life and Correspondence'' described Read as "tall, slightly and gracefully formed, with pleasing features and lustrous brown eyes. His manners were dignified, bordering upon austerity, but courteous, and at times captivating. He commanded entire confidence, not only from his profound legal knowledge, sound judgment, and impartial decisions, but from his severe integrity and the purity of his private character." However, a fellow delegate to the [[Philadelphia Convention|Constitutional Convention of 1787]] noted that "his legal abilities are said to be very great, but his powers of oratory are fatiguing and tiresome to the last degree; his voice is feeble and his articulation so bad that few can have patience to attend him." Historians like John Munroe have generally recognized that all in all, Read was the dominating figure in Delaware politics during his career, directly or indirectly providing consistent and reliable leadership to the new state.<ref>{{cite book |title=History of Delaware |last=Munroe |first=John A. |year=1993 }}</ref> | ||
His home, [[Stonum]], is now historic landmark. On The Strand in [[New Castle, Delaware|New Castle]], [[Delaware]] is the house built by his son, George Read, II. It is owned by the Delaware Historical Society, restored and opened to the public. There is a school named for him in [[New Castle, Delaware|New Castle]] and a dorm at the [[University of Delaware]]. | His home, [[Stonum]], is now historic landmark. On The Strand in [[New Castle, Delaware|New Castle]], [[Delaware (U.S. state)|Delaware]] is the house built by his son, George Read, II. It is owned by the Delaware Historical Society, restored and opened to the public. There is a school named for him in [[New Castle, Delaware|New Castle]] and a dorm at the [[University of Delaware]]. | ||
==Almanac== | |||
Elections were held October 1. Members of the [[Delaware General Assembly|General Assembly]] took office on October 20th, or the following weekday. [[Delaware House of Representatives|State Assemblymen]] had a one year term. The [[Delaware Senate|Legislative Council]] was created in 1776 and [[Delaware Senate|Legislative Councilmen]] had a three year term. The [[Delaware General Assembly|General Assembly]] chose the [[Continental Congress]]men for a one year term and the State [[Governor of Delaware|President]] for a three year term. They also chose the [[United States Senators|U.S. Senators]], who took office March 4, and had a six year term. However, Read's first term was only two years to establish a rotation. | Elections were held October 1. Members of the [[Delaware General Assembly|General Assembly]] took office on October 20th, or the following weekday. [[Delaware House of Representatives|State Assemblymen]] had a one year term. The [[Delaware Senate|Legislative Council]] was created in 1776 and [[Delaware Senate|Legislative Councilmen]] had a three year term. The [[Delaware General Assembly|General Assembly]] chose the [[Continental Congress]]men for a one year term and the State [[Governor of Delaware|President]] for a three year term. They also chose the [[United States Senators|U.S. Senators]], who took office March 4, and had a six year term. However, Read's first term was only two years to establish a rotation. | ||
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===References=== | ===References=== | ||
{{reflist}} | {{reflist}} | ||
===Images=== | ===Images=== | ||
*[http://www.state.de.us/research/Tour/information/Governors/govs-01.shtml Hall of Governors Portrait Gallery ] ''Portrait courtesy of Historical and Cultural Affairs, Dover.'' | *[http://www.state.de.us/research/Tour/information/Governors/govs-01.shtml Hall of Governors Portrait Gallery ] ''Portrait courtesy of Historical and Cultural Affairs, Dover.''[[Category:Suggestion Bot Tag]] | ||
[[Category: | |||
Latest revision as of 12:00, 21 August 2024
George Read (September 18, 1733 - September 21, 1798) was an American lawyer and politician from New Castle, in New Castle County, Delaware. He was a signer of the U.S. Declaration of Independence , a Continental Congressman from Delaware, a delegate to the U.S. Constitutional Convention of 1787, President of Delaware, and a member of the Federalist Party, who served as U.S. Senator from Delaware and Chief Justice of Delaware.
Early life and family
Read was born in Cecil County, Maryland, near North East, the son of John and Mary Howell Read. John Read was a wealthy English resident of Dublin, Ireland who came to Maryland as a young man and was one of the founders of Charlestown, Maryland in Cecil County. When George Read was an infant the family moved to New Castle County, Delaware, settling near the village of Christiana. As he grew up, Read joined Thomas McKean at the Rev. Francis Alison's Academy at New London, Pennsylvania and then studied law in Philadelphia with John Moland. He was admitted to the Pennsylvania Bar in 1753 and a year later he returned home to establish a practice at New Castle, Delaware.
In 1763 Read married Gertrude Ross Till, daughter of the Rev. George Ross, the Anglican rector of Immanuel Church in New Castle, and widowed sister of George Ross, also a future signer of the U.S. Declaration of Independence. They had five children, John, George Jr., William, John, and Mary, who married Gunning Bedford, Sr., a future Governor of Delaware. They lived on The Strand in New Castle. Their house was in what is now the garden of the present Read House and Gardens, owned by the Delaware Historical Society. They were members of Immanuel Episcopal Church.
In 1763 John Penn, the Proprietary Governor, appointed Read Crown Attorney General for the three Delaware counties and he served in that position until leaving for the Continental Congress in 1774. He also served in the Colonial Assembly of the Lower Counties for twelve sessions, from 1764/65 through 1775/76.
American Revolution
Eighteenth century Delaware was politically divided into loose factions known as the "Court Party" and the "Country Party." The majority Court Party was generally Anglican, strongest in Kent County and Sussex County, worked well with the colonial Proprietary government, and was in favor of reconciliation with the British government. The minority Country Party was largely Ulster-Scot, centered in New Castle County, and quickly advocated independence from the British. Read was often the leader of the Court party faction, and as such, he generally worked in opposition to Caesar Rodney and his friend and neighbor, Thomas McKean.
Read, therefore, like most people in Delaware, was very much in favor of trying to reconcile differences with Great Britain. He opposed the Stamp Act and similar measures of Parliament, and supported anti-importation measures and dignified protests, but was quite reluctant to pursue the option of outright independence. Nevertheless, from 1764 he led the Delaware Committee of Correspondence and was elected to serve along with the more radical Thomas McKean and Caesar Rodney in the First and Second Continental Congress from 1774 through 1777. He was frequently absent though, and when the Congress voted on American Independence on July 2, 1776, Read surprised many by voting against it. This meant Caesar Rodney had to ride overnight to Philadelphia to break the deadlock in Delaware's delegation in favor of independence. However, when the U.S. Declaration of Independence was finally adopted, Read signed it, joining the cause in spite of his natural caution.
Government of Delaware
Anticipating the U.S. Declaration of Independence, the General Assembly of the Lower Counties declared its separation from the British government on June 15, 1776. Once the U.S. Declaration of Independence was actually adopted, the General Assembly called for elections to a Delaware constitutional convention to draft a constitution for the new state. Read was elected to this convention, became its President, and guided the passage of the Thomas McKean -drafted document, which became the Delaware Constitution of 1776.
Read was then elected to the first Legislative Council of the Delaware General Assembly and was selected as the Speaker in both the 1776/77 and 1777/78 sessions. At the time of the capture of President John McKinly, Read was in Philadelphia attending Congress, and after narrowly escaping capture himself while returning home, he became President on October 20, 1777, serving until March 31, 1778. During these months the British occupied Philadelphia and were in control of the Delaware River. Read tried, mostly in vain, to recruit additional soldiers and protect the state from raiders from Philadelphia and off ships in the Delaware River. The Delaware General Assembly session of 1777/78 had to be moved to Dover, Delaware for safety and the Sussex County General Assembly delegation was never seated because disruptions at the polls had negated the election results.
After Caesar Rodney was elected to replace him as President, Read continued to serve in the Legislative Council through the 1778/79 session. After a one-year rest nursing ill health, he was elected to the House of Assembly for the 1780/81 and 1781/82 sessions. He returned to the Legislative Council in the 1782/83 session and served two terms, through the 1787/88 session. In 1782 he was appointed Judge of the Court of Appeals in admiralty cases.
| President of Delaware | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Previous | Service Dates | Successor | |||||||||
| Thomas McKean | October 20, 1777 - March 31, 1778 | Caesar Rodney | |||||||||
| Delaware General Assembly (sessions while President) | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Assembly | Senate Majority | Speaker | House Majority | Speaker | ||||||
| 1777/78 | 2nd | non-partisan | George Read | non-partisan | Samuel West | ||||||
U.S. Constitutional Convention
Read was again called to national service in 1786 when he represented Delaware at the Annapolis Convention. Because so few states were represented, this meeting produced only a report calling for a broader convention to be held in Philadelphia the next year.
At what became the Constitutional Convention of 1787, Read again represented Delaware. Quoting from Wright & Morris in their Soldier-Statesmen of the Constitution,
"Read immediately argued for a new national government under a new Constitution, saying 'to amend the Articles was simply putting old cloth on a new garment.' He was a leader in the fight for a strong central government, advocating, at one time, the abolition of the states altogether and the consolidation of the country under one powerful national government. 'Let no one fear the states, the people are with us;' he declared to a Convention shocked by this radical proposal. With no one to support his motion, he settled for protecting the rights of the small states against the infringements of their larger, more populous neighbors who, he feared, would 'probably combine to swallow up the smaller ones by addition, division or impoverishment.' He warned that Delaware 'would become at once a cipher in the union' if the principle of equal representation embodied in the New Jersey (small-state) Plan was not adopted and if the method of amendment in the Articles was not retained. He favored giving Congress the right to vote state laws, making the federal legislature immune to popular whims by having senators hold office for nine years or during good behavior, and granting the U.S. President broad appointive powers. Outspoken, he threatened to lead the Delaware delegation out of the Convention if the rights of the small states were not specifically guaranteed in the new Constitution."
Once those rights were assured, he led the ratification movement in Delaware which, partly as a result of his efforts, became the first state to ratify.
United States Senator
Following the adoption of the Federal Constitution of 1787, the Delaware General Assembly elected Read as one of its two U.S. Senators. His term began March 4, 1789, he was reelected in 1791, and resigned September 18, 1793. Read served with the pro-administration majority in the 1st and 2nd Congress, during the administration of U.S. President George Washington. As Senator he supported the assumption of state debts, establishment of a national bank, and the imposition of excise taxes. He resigned as Senator to accept an appointment as Chief Justice of the Delaware Supreme Court and served in that capacity until his death.
Read's resignation from the U.S. Senate was before the first session of the 3rd Congress assembled, but it was not until February 7, 1795, 4 weeks before it adjourned, that Henry Latimer was elected to replace him. One of Delaware's U.S. Senate seats was, therefore, vacant from September 18, 1793 until February 7, 1795.
Death and legacy
Read died September 21, 1798 at New Castle, Delaware and was buried there, at the Immanuel Episcopal Church Cemetery.
William T. Reid in his Life and Correspondence described Read as "tall, slightly and gracefully formed, with pleasing features and lustrous brown eyes. His manners were dignified, bordering upon austerity, but courteous, and at times captivating. He commanded entire confidence, not only from his profound legal knowledge, sound judgment, and impartial decisions, but from his severe integrity and the purity of his private character." However, a fellow delegate to the Constitutional Convention of 1787 noted that "his legal abilities are said to be very great, but his powers of oratory are fatiguing and tiresome to the last degree; his voice is feeble and his articulation so bad that few can have patience to attend him." Historians like John Munroe have generally recognized that all in all, Read was the dominating figure in Delaware politics during his career, directly or indirectly providing consistent and reliable leadership to the new state.[1]
His home, Stonum, is now historic landmark. On The Strand in New Castle, Delaware is the house built by his son, George Read, II. It is owned by the Delaware Historical Society, restored and opened to the public. There is a school named for him in New Castle and a dorm at the University of Delaware.
Almanac
Elections were held October 1. Members of the General Assembly took office on October 20th, or the following weekday. State Assemblymen had a one year term. The Legislative Council was created in 1776 and Legislative Councilmen had a three year term. The General Assembly chose the Continental Congressmen for a one year term and the State President for a three year term. They also chose the U.S. Senators, who took office March 4, and had a six year term. However, Read's first term was only two years to establish a rotation.
| Public Offices | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Office | Type | Location | Took Office | Left Office | notes | ||
| Attorney General | Judiciary | New Castle | October 20, 1763 | October 20, 1774 | |||
| Assemblyman | Legislature | New Castle | October 20, 1764 | October 21, 1765 | |||
| Assemblyman | Legislature | New Castle | October 21, 1765 | October 20, 1766 | |||
| Assemblyman | Legislature | New Castle | October 20, 1766 | October 20, 1767 | |||
| Assemblyman | Legislature | New Castle | October 20, 1767 | October 20, 1768 | |||
| Assemblyman | Legislature | New Castle | October 20, 1768 | October 20, 1769 | |||
| Assemblyman | Legislature | New Castle | October 20, 1769 | October 20, 1770 | |||
| Assemblyman | Legislature | New Castle | October 20, 1770 | October 21, 1771 | |||
| Assemblyman | Legislature | New Castle | October 21, 1771 | October 20, 1772 | |||
| Assemblyman | Legislature | New Castle | October 20, 1772 | October 20, 1773 | |||
| Assemblyman | Legislature | New Castle | October 20, 1773 | October 20, 1774 | |||
| Delegate | Legislature | Philadelphia | September 5, 1774 | October 26, 1774 | Continental Congressman | ||
| Assemblyman | Legislature | New Castle | October 20, 1774 | October 20, 1775 | |||
| Delegate | Legislature | Philadelphia | May 10, 1775 | October 21, 1775 | Continental Congressman | ||
| Assemblyman | Legislature | New Castle | October 20, 1775 | June 15, 1776 | |||
| Delegate | Legislature | Philadelphia | October 21, 1775 | November 7, 1776 | Continental Congressman | ||
| Delegate | Convention | New Castle | August 27, 1776 | September 21, 1776 | State Constitution | ||
| Councilman | Legislature | Dover | October 28, 1776 | October 20, 1779 | Speaker | ||
| Delegate | Legislature | Philadelphia | November 7, 1776 | December 17, 1777 | Continental Congressman [2] | ||
| State President | Executive | Dover | October 20, 1777 | March 31, 1778 | acting | ||
| Assemblyman | Legislature | Dover | October 20, 1780 | October 20, 1781 | |||
| Assemblyman | Legislature | Dover | October 20, 1781 | October 20, 1782 | |||
| Councilman | Legislature | Dover | October 20, 1782 | October 20, 1785 | |||
| Councilman | Legislature | Dover | October 20, 1785 | October 20, 1788 | |||
| Delegate | Convention | Philadelphia | May 14, 1787 | September 17, 1787 | U.S. Constitution | ||
| U.S. Senator | Legislature | New York | March 4, 1789 | March 3, 1791 | |||
| U.S. Senator | Legislature | Philadelphia | March 4, 1791 | September 18, 1793 | resigned | ||
| Chief Justice | Judiciary | Dover | September 30, 1793 | September 21, 1798 | State Supreme Court | ||
| Delaware General Assembly service | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dates | Assembly | Chamber | Majority | Governor | Committees | District |
| 1776/77 | 1st | State Council | non-partisan | John McKinly | Speaker | New Castle at-large |
| 1777/78 | 2nd | State Council | non-partisan | Caesar Rodney | Speaker | New Castle at-large |
| 1778/79 | 3rd | State Council | non-partisan | Caesar Rodney | New Castle at-large | |
| 1780/81 | 5th | State House | non-partisan | Caesar Rodney | New Castle at-large | |
| 1781/82 | 6th | State House | non-partisan | John Dickinson | New Castle at-large | |
| 1782/83 | 7th | State Council | non-partisan | Nicholas Van Dyke | New Castle at-large | |
| 1783/84 | 8th | State Council | non-partisan | Nicholas Van Dyke | New Castle at-large | |
| 1784/85 | 9th | State Council | non-partisan | Nicholas Van Dyke | New Castle at-large | |
| 1785/86 | 10th | State Council | non-partisan | Nicholas Van Dyke | New Castle at-large | |
| 1786/87 | 11th | State Council | non-partisan | Thomas Collins | New Castle at-large | |
| 1787/88 | 12th | State Council | non-partisan | Thomas Collins | New Castle at-large | |
| United States Congressional service | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dates | Congress | Chamber | Majority | President | Committees | Class/District |
| 1789-1791 | 1st | U.S. Senate | Pro-Administration | George Washington | class 1 | |
| 1791-1793 | 2nd | U.S. Senate | Pro-Administration | George Washington | class 1 | |
| 1793-1795 | 3rd | U.S. Senate | Pro-Administration | George Washington | class 1 | |
References
- ↑ Munroe, John A. (1993). History of Delaware.
- ↑ Congress met at Baltimore, Maryland from December 20, 1776 - March 4, 1777, at Lancaster, Pennsylvania on September 27, 1777 and at York, Pennsylvania from September 30, 1777 to the end of his term. He did not attend the sessions at Lancaster or York.
Images
- Hall of Governors Portrait Gallery Portrait courtesy of Historical and Cultural Affairs, Dover.