July 2025
As with every July, this month we had our writers write
about a signer of the
Declaration of Independence
James Wilson
Cameron Madden
MSMU Class of 2028
As we all go on to celebrate the 249th birthday of the United States of America, we would like to look at one of the lesser-known individuals that signed the Declaration of Independence who you might not have heard of. I decided to cover Mr. James Wilson, who was born on September 14, 1742, in Carskerdo, a small village in Scotland.
He was the son of a modest farming family, and although his upbringing was humble, he received an exceptional education at the universities of St. Andrews, Glasgow, and Edinburgh, studying under the likes of philosophers such as Francis Hutcheson. He didn’t graduate, but the structure of his education shaped the legal and philosophical mind that would later allow him to sign the Declaration of Independence, and work with the US Constitution.
In 1765, Wilson immigrated to America during the years leading up to the American Revolution; he arrived in Philadelphia with a little more than some letters of introduction and a sharp intellect. He began by teaching Greek and rhetoric at the College of Philadelphia (now the University of Pennsylvania) and was awarded an honorary Master of Arts degree in 1766. That same year, he began studying law under John Dickinson, one of the colony’s most respected legal minds, and was admitted to the bar in the next year. Wilson quickly built a successful legal practice in Reading, Pennsylvania, and started to invest in western frontier lands, eventually accumulating considerable wealth and influence.
By the early 1770s, Wilson was deeply involved in the growing conflict between the colonies and Great Britain. In 1774, he had published a pamphlet titled, Considerations on the Nature and Extent of the Legislative Authority of the British Parliament. In it, Wilson made the bold argument that the British Parliament had no authority over the colonies; a position more radical than most of his contemporaries. He conceded that the colonies owed allegiance to the King, but not to Parliament, so they had no authority administering them.
Wilson was elected to the Continental Congress as a delegate of Pennsylvania in 1775 and quickly earned a reputation as a thoughtful and persuasive speaker. During the critical summer of 1776, when the revolution was in full swing, he hesitated on the vote for independence, believing his constituents were not yet fully committed. That caution temporarily placed him at odds with more fervent revolutionaries, but Wilson ultimately voted in favor of independence after consulting his district. Alongside Benjamin Franklin and John Morton, Wilson cast Pennsylvania’s decisive votes, joining in the formal signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 2, 1776.
Though a staunch supporter of the American cause, Wilson often held views that alienated both radicals and conservatives around him. He opposed Pennsylvania’s 1776 State Constitution, which created a powerful unicameral legislature at the expense of the Executive and Judiciary, and he believed in a system of checks and balances, which the original Articles of Confederation had little of. His stance, seen as elitist by some, led to his temporary removal from Congress in 1777. That same year, during a period of economic unrest, Wilson was nearly killed during the Fort Wilson Riot, when a mob, angry over both food shortages and Wilson’s defense of Loyalist property rights, surrounded his Philadelphia home. He was rescued only when the local militia intervened.
Despite this, Wilson remained an influential figure; he served as the Advocate-General for France, a legal position overseeing foreign interests in the young republic and worked closely with Robert Morris on the creation of the Bank of North America, AKA America’s first National Bank. He returned to Congress intermittently and became an outspoken critic of the weak Articles of Confederation, advocating for a strong centralized government.
In 1787, Wilson took part in the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, where he emerged as one of its most important, though often unsung, figures. He delivered more speeches than all but one other delegate, and served on the Committee of Detail, which drafted much of the Constitution’s initial language. Wilson was a vocal advocate for a single executive (the presidency) as opposed to a committee, arguing that one accountable leader would be more effective and less prone to corruption. He also helped draft the controversial Three-Fifths Compromise, which gave southern states more representation from their slave populations, while still keeping them from citizenship. He also supported the idea that sovereignty resided with the people rather than the states, a foundational concept in American constitutional theory.
After the Convention, Wilson spent much of his own time securing Pennsylvania’s ratification of the Constitution. He delivered a speech in October 1787, which was one of the first and most comprehensive public defenses of the new framework, laying out arguments that helped shape the Federalist Papers, and wider public understanding of the document. He also helped in writing Pennsylvania’s new State Constitution in 1790, and in the same year, George Washington appointed him as one of the first Associate Justices of the United States Supreme Court! Wilson authored opinions in some of the earliest and most formative cases in America, including Chisholm v. Georgia (1793), which held that states could be sued in federal court; an interpretation that led directly to the Eleventh Amendment.
At the same time, he began teaching law at the College of Philadelphia, making him one of the first formal law professors in the United States, and making his lectures some of the groundwork for American legal education.
Wilson’s later years were marred by personal and financial collapse. A series of disastrous land speculation ventures left him deeply in debt. At one point, he was even briefly imprisoned for failing to repay his creditors, a humiliating fall for a sitting Supreme Court Justice. He fled from state to state to avoid debt collection and eventually ended up in Edenton, North Carolina, where he died in 1798, far from the centers of power he once helped shape.
As we remember the people who secured our freedom this Fourth of July, it’s worth rediscovering James Wilson, not just for his contributions to our government, but for the interesting life he lived; I personally enjoyed the idea of a Supreme Court Judge being a serial debtor on the run!
Read other articles by Cameron Madden
John Hancock
Gracie Smith
MSMU Class of 2027
I’d like to start this article by prefacing that it is my favorite one to write. Commemorating time to acknowledge all of those who worked to design our great nation is something that more ought to do. It’s important that people are educated on how our country came to be and what impactful figures led to certain ratifications, acts, and negotiations. That all said, let’s talk about John Hancock.
Disclaimer: No, he’s not related to Winfield Scott Hancock. I was a little disappointed myself to find this out, having chosen this individual, thinking they were related. However, this individual did not disappoint when it came time to research.
John Hancock, born January 23, 1737, was more than just a founding father. He was a merchant, a statesman, and a notable patriot of the American Revolution. Coming from an extremely wealthy Massachusetts family, Hancock served several terms as the second president of the Second Continental Congress and the seventh president of the Congress of the Confederation, as well as the first and third governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Needless to say, this man had lots of experience.
Hancock’s father passed away in 1744, leaving him to be raised by his uncle and aunt, Thomas Hancock and Lydia Hancock. Thomas Hancock was the proprietor of a firm known as the House of Hancock, which imported British goods and exported things like rum, oil, and fish. This highly successful business made him one of the wealthiest and most well-known men in Massachusetts at the time. Thomas and Lydia Hancock, having no children of their own, became the most prominent influence on John Hancock, having raised him and left him their estate and fortune upon their passing.
John Hancock attended the Boston Latin School in 1750, then enrolled in Harvard College to receive his bachelor’s degree in 1754. Around his graduation from Harvard, the French and Indian War was starting. I could write a whole article about this, alas, not today. During this time, Hancock learned a lot from his uncle’s business, preparing for his partnership. This was when he began to develop a fondness for his aristocratic role and wealthy clothes.
Like most people of this time - Jefferson and Franklin, I’m looking at you - John Hancock went to live in England to develop relations with English customers and suppliers for his business. Once he returned to Boston, Hancock began to fully take over the House of Hancock as his uncle’s health failed, becoming a full partner in January of 1763.
Following the years of his uncle’s death, Hancock emerged as a leading political figure in Boston just as tensions with Great Britain were rising. In March 1765, Hancock was elected as one of Boston's five selectmen, an office previously held by his uncle for many years. Soon after this, Parliament passed the Stamp Act of 1765, which produced riots and organized resistance across the colonies. Hancock joined the resistance to the Stamp Act of 1765 by participating in a boycott of British goods, which made him wildly popular in Boston. After Bostonians learned of the impending repeal of the Stamp Act, Hancock was elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives in May of 1766.
Now, onto the Declaration of Independence. As many people probably aren’t aware, Hancock was President of Congress when the Declaration of Independence was signed. However, Hancock is not primarily remembered for this, but rather his large, flamboyant, overly dramatized signature on the Declaration of Independence. So much so that "John Hancock" became, in the United States, an informal synonym for signature. It was tossed around that Hancock did that intentionally so that King George would be able to read his signature without his glasses. Nevertheless, this was proven apocryphal.
Hancock, being President of Congress, sent a copy of the Dunlap broadside, a local printed paper, to George Washington and instructed him to have it read to the troops "in the way you shall think most proper". I wish I knew how Washington decided to go about this, and what the troops thought of the recently signed Declaration.
In October of 1777, Hancock requested a leave of absence to go back to Boston. With this request, he had informed Washington of his desire to have soldiers escort him on his journey home. Despite Washington’s true lack of soldiers, he somehow pulled enough strings to fulfill Hancock’s request. At this point, it is evident how much Hancock was living up to his aristocratic title.
Back in Boston, Hancock was re-elected to the House of Representatives. As in previous years, his philanthropy made him popular. Although his finances had suffered greatly because of the war, he gave to the poor, helped support widows and orphans, and loaned money to friends. I have to admit, during my research, I didn’t expect Hancock to display such modesty after growing up wealthy and then inheriting a highly successful business.
Even later, during the election of 1789, Hancock was put forth as a candidate in the 1789 Presidential election. Hancock did not campaign or even publicly express interest in the office; he instead made his wishes known indirectly. Like everyone else, Hancock knew that Washington was going to be elected as the first president, but he may have been interested in being vice president, despite his poor health. He received only four electoral votes in the election; however, none of them from his home state; the Massachusetts electors all voted for John Adams, who received the second-highest number of electoral votes and thus became vice president. Although Hancock was disappointed with his performance in the election, he continued to be popular in Massachusetts.
John Hancock died of poor health at the age of 56, on October 8th, 1793. Having lived such a short life, in comparison to our time, Hancock is yet another person we have to thank for the creation of our Declaration. This 4th of July let’s take some time to reflect on how our nation started. Happy 4th of July everyone!
Read other articles by Gracie Smith
John Witherspoon
Devin Owen
MSMU Class of 2026
Independence Day. What do you think of when you hear that? Do you think of the barbeques, swimming at the pool, day drinking and the beach? Maybe you think of days spent with family, relaxing at home and playing board games or going outside and throwing a football around. Maybe you’re like me and you’re expecting to be working on Independence Day—personally, I expect to be working the entire holiday weekend—and are either dreading it, or excited for the opportunities being brought forth. Do you ever stop to think of what led to the holiday? The efforts that went into bringing about our freedom and separation from Great Britain’s rule. Where would we be now without those efforts, specifically, where would we be without those who made those efforts?
We all celebrate America’s freedom in different ways, but it’s important that we don’t forget why we really celebrate this holiday and what it means. Granted, we weren’t there and can’t know what exactly happened, but we can take time to educate ourselves on the history and remind ourselves how important the signing of the Declaration of Independence was. As we do every July, the News-Journal is here to educate on the history of this period and shed light on those who signed the Declaration, many of whom we have forgotten or just simply don’t know.
That said, I am here to introduce you to John Witherspoon, a Declaration signer for the state of New Jersey. John Witherspoon was the only clergyman to sign the Declaration of Independence, but his life was so much more interesting than that singular moment.
Witherspoon was not an American native. Instead, he was born in Yester, Scotland on February 5th in either the 1722 or 1723—depending on if you look at the Julian or Gregorian calendar—to James Witherspoon and Anna Walker. His mother, Anna, came from a long line of clergymen extending back to John Knox, a well-known leader for the Scottish Reformation in 1546, and his father was a minister himself; so it is safe to say that it’s "in his blood". Witherspoon was incredibly well educated; having first been taught by his mother, he learned to read at age four, reading from the Bible and eventually being able to recite a majority of the New Testament. By age thirteen he was sent to University at Edinburgh and completed a four-year degree in only three and earned his Master of Arts degree, while petitioning to publish his thesis by the end of the year 1738. He was only fifteen years old at this point—an incredible accomplishment at such a young
age. Just after his sixteenth birthday in 1739, Witherspoon was awarded his Master of Arts with a thesis in Latin, De Mentes Immortalities, signed by Johannes Wederspan.
Witherspoon is most well-known for his time as the President of what is now Princeton University. Following the completion of his degree, Witherspoon was recruited by the trustees of the College of New Jersey to become President following the death of the previous President, Samuel Finley. Amongst said recruiters was Benjamin Rush and Richard Stockton, both who would also go on to sign the Declaration of Independence, who went as far as travelling to Scotland to personally request Witherspoon’s presence. The institution flourished under the direction of President John Witherspoon; with him growing the endowment fund, instituting circular changes and having patched up a major schism in the Presbyterian church. He is considered to be one of the greatest Presidents of Princeton University to this day.
Witherspoon was a crucial advocate to the American cause. In the years 1774-75, he represented his county in the New Jersey Provincial Assembly, where he successfully agitated for the removal and imprisonment of the Royal Governor and received appointment to the Continental Congress, which he stayed with until 1782. Within his years on the Continental Congress, he aided in the reorganization of the Board of Treasury, drafted a letter of thanks to Lafayette, the credentials, and instructors for Ben Franklin as minister plenipotentiary, and designed seals for the Treasury and Navy department. He also was part of the ratifying convention that led to New Jersey having the honor of being 3rd to ratify the US Constitution. During the period of war, Witherspoon even went as far as advocating resistance to the crown in a commencement speech at the University. With war though comes destruction and chaos, which led to Witherspoon closing down the
College once the war entered the New Jersey territory in 1776. During this period, the British occupied the college; the burned its library, burned many of Witherspoon’s papers and left things a complete and utter mess. He never gave up on it though; come 1778, Witherspoon had the College of New Jersey back up and running again with classes resuming in November of that year. By 1789, Witherspoon had returned to the New Jersey assembly with the responsibility of setting priorities of business, which included the following: the body shall deal with the treatment of prisoners, pensions of invalids, public debts, promotion of religion and mortality, divorce, paper money, establishment of records of viral statistics and encouragement of manufacturing. Witherspoon also chaired a committee concerned with the abolition of slavery in New Jersey, even though he was a slaveholder himself.
Witherspoon was more than just his accomplishments though. He was a son, a father, a brother, and a husband. John was one of six children, although he lost a brother in the West Indies. Witherspoon was a father to eleven children total, but only six of them made it to adulthood. On September 2nd, 1748, he married Elizabeth Montgomery. Together they had nine children, however, only five survived to adulthood and made the journey to North America from Scotland. In October 1789, Elizabeth died suddenly and unexpectedly at age 68. Two years after his wife’s death, Witherspoon remarried 24-year-old Ann Marshall Dill. The two had two children together, sadly though, one of these children died nine days after birth.
Witherspoon lived a long and full life, filled with numerous accomplishments to be remembered by. He died in his Princeton home, "Tusculum", on November 15th 1794, at age 71. I’ll end with this: take the time to enjoy your holiday this summer, but don’t forget why you have it at your disposal. Take a moment to remember those who signed the document of America’s freedom.
Read other articles by Devin Owen
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