Thursday, March 3, 2016

Signers: Rhode Island and North Carolina

The third post in our Signers of the Declaration series features the state with the fewest delegates (and the second oldest one!) and North Carolina.

Rhode Island
  • Stephen Hopkins (1707-1785), the second oldest delegate at the Continental Congress, is regarded as Rhode Island's greatest statesman.  A mostly self-educated man, he represented Rhode Island at both Continental Congress and returned to the state to serve in the state legislature until his death.
  • William Ellery (1727-1820), holds another prominent role in the Brave Astronaut's orbit - he was involved in the drafting of the charter for Brown University, where both of the Brave Astronaut's parents went to school (and met).  Ellery was active in the Rhode Island Sons of Liberty and was named to the Congress after the death of Samuel Ward.  The William Ellery pizza at Declarations has roasted garlic, sauteed calamari, squid ink aioli, chili oil, oven dried tomatoes on it.
North Carolina
  • William Hooper (1742-1790), was a Loyalist and was slow to the cause of American Independence.  As a result of commitments in North Carolina, Hooper arrived at the Continental Congress after the vote for independence but was still able to sign the document in August 1776.  Hooper was actively working on getting North Carolina to adopt the United States Constitution at the time of his death in 1790.
  • John Penn (1741-1788), was born in Virginia and became a lawyer.  He was offered a judicial post following the adoption of the Declaration, but declined it due to ill health.
  • Joseph Hewes (1730-1779), was an active committee member in the Continental Congress.  When Hewes died after a brief illness in 1779 at age 50, the entire Continental Congress attended his funeral.  At Declaration, you can order the Joseph Hewes with braised pork, dijon, smoked mozzarella, smoked pears, north carolina bbq gastrique.

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