Author: Administrador

(1726–June 8, 1806), was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. He was a member of the Continental Congress, a member of the House of Burgesses and the Mayor of Williamsburg. He served as the attorney general of the Virginia Colony and established the first law professorship in the United States at the … Continue reading “WYTHE,
GEORGE”

(February 20, 1726–October 13, 1795), was an American Colonel during the Revolutionary War. He built the fortifications at Breed’s Hill and commanded the Colonial Militia at the Battle of Bunker Hill, 1775. He was an instrumental part of the battles of Long Island, 1776, and Saratoga, 1777. In 1774, when the British blockaded the Boston … Continue reading “PRESCOTT,
WILLIAM”

(1725–October 7, 1792), was an American Revolutionary statesman and delegate from Virginia to the Constitutional Convention. He was a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses, a lawyer, judge, political philosopher and planter. The richest man in Virginia, George Mason owned 15,000 acres in Virginia and 80,000 acres in the Ohio area. He was the … Continue reading “MASON,
GEORGE”

(February 5, 1725–May 23, 1783), was a colonial lawyer, statesman and brother to the American poet Mercy Otis Warren (1728–1814). He graduated from Harvard College and in 1756, became the King’s advocate-general of the vice-admiralty court at Boston. In 1761, he was elected as a representative of Boston to the Massachusetts General Court. His efforts … Continue reading “OTIS,
JAMES”

(July 24, 1725–December 21, 1807), was the captain of a slave trading ship. He converted to Christianity and wrote the spiritual song, Amazing Grace, having realized the wretchedness of his former profession. So depraved was he, that even his crew became disgusted. Once in a drunken stupor he fell overboard, and his crew, in order … Continue reading “NEWTON,
JOHN”

(January 9, 1724–November 20, 1806), was an American separatist leader and colonial historian. He wrote many influence works, including: History of New England—with Particular Reference to the Denomination of Christians Called Baptist, published in 1777; and “A Declaration of the Rights of the Inhabitants of the State of Massachusetts-Bay in New England," in which he … Continue reading “BACKUS,
ISAAC”

(April 22, 1724–February 12, 1804), was a German philosopher, whose major philosophical work, Critique of Pure Reason, published in 1781, is comparable to the works of Plato or Aristotle in importance. His later works include Critique of Practical Reason, 1788, and Critique of Judgement, 1790. Born in Kaliningrad, Immanuel Kant stated: The existence of the … Continue reading “KANT,
IMMANUEL”

(February 5, 1723–November 15, 1794), was an American Revolutionary patriot and clergyman. Born in Scotland, being a descendant of John Knox on his mother’s side, John Witherspoon’s influence as an educator was widely felt in America. He signed the Declaration of Independence and was a member of the Continental Congress. He was a primary proponent … Continue reading “WITHERSPOON,
JOHN”

(July 10, 1723–February 14, 1780), was an English jurist who deeply influenced the growth of Common Law, jurisprudence and the basis of law in America. In 1758, he was honored by being elected Oxford’s first Vinerian lecturer, and in 1770, he became one of the Judges of the Common Pleas. From 1765 to 1770, Sir … Continue reading “BLACKSTONE,
SIR WILLIAM”

(November 1723–July 25, 1790), was a Brigadier General in the militia and a member of the First and Second Continental Congresses. He signed the U.S. Constitution, being 61 years old at the time. He served as the first Governor of New Jersey, and was re-elected for 14 years. Growing up on the frontier around Albany, … Continue reading “LIVINGSTON,
WILLIAM”