Clymer, George, 1739-1813

George Clymer, an orphan at an early age, was reared by a paternal uncle, who gave him a good education. He apprenticed in his uncle's counting room to prepare for a mercantile profession. He was a patriot partisan and leader in the disturbances in Philadelphia resulting from the Tea Act and the Stamp Act, and a Member of the Philadelphia Committee of Safety in 1773. He was elected to the Continental Congress in 1776 and served several years in such important committees as the Board of War and the Treasury Board. He played a large part, along with Robert Morris, in strengthening the authority of General Washington and improving the provisions of the Continental army. In 1781 he was a member of the Legislature of his native state. He returned to the Congress in 1788 under the new constitution where he supported the presidency of George Washington. He was a revenue officer in Pennsylvania during the Whisky Rebellion. His last national public duty was a mission to the Cherokees in 1796. In retirement he was elected first president of Philadelphia Bank, first president of the Philadelphia Academy of Fine Arts, and vice-president of the Philadelphia Agricultural Society. He held all of these posts until his death in January of 1813.

<ul><b>RACES</b>
<li>11/26/1788 PA At-Large Won 6.96% (-0.13%)</li>
<li>12/31/1779 PA Continental Congress Won 100.00% (+100.00%)</li>
<li>12/31/1777 PA Continental Congress Won 100.00% (+100.00%)</li>
<li>12/31/1776 PA Continental Congress Won 100.00% (+100.00%)</li>
<li>12/31/1775 PA Continental Congress Won 100.00% (+100.00%)</li>
</ul>

<p>George Clymer (March 16, 1739 – January 23, 1813) was an American politician and Founding Father of the United States, signing both the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. Although fact-checkers claim he never held slaves, it would appear that Clymer held slaves as some point in his life. He was one of the first Patriots to advocate complete independence from Britain. He attended the Continental Congress and served in political office until the end of his life.</p>

<p>Clymer was born in Philadelphia in the Province of Pennsylvania on March 16, 1739. Orphaned when only a year old, he was apprenticed to his maternal aunt and uncle, Hannah and William Coleman, to prepare to become a merchant. He married Elizabeth Meredith on March 22, 1765. In a letter written by Clymer to the rector of Christ Church, the Reverend Richard Peters, Clymer states that he had previously fathered a child; neither the child's nor mother's name is mentioned. Clymer and his wife had nine children, four of whom died in infancy. His oldest surviving son, Henry (born 1767), married the Philadelphia socialite Mary Willing in 1794. John Meredith, Margaret, George, and Ann also survived to adulthood, though John Meredith was killed in the Whiskey Rebellion in 1787 at age 18.</p>

<p>Clymer was a patriot and leader in the demonstrations in Philadelphia resulting from the Tea Act and the Stamp Act. Clymer accepted the command as a leader of a volunteer corps belonging to General John Cadwalader's brigade. In 1759, he was inducted as a member of the original American Philosophical Society. He became a member of the Philadelphia Committee of Safety in 1773 and was elected to the Continental Congress 1776–1780. Clymer shared the responsibility of being treasurer of the Continental Congress with Michael Hillegas. He served on several committees during his first congressional term and was sent with Sampson Mathews to inspect the northern army at Fort Ticonderoga on behalf of Congress in the fall of 1776. When Congress fled Philadelphia in the face of Sir Henry Clinton's threatened occupation, Clymer stayed behind with George Walton and Robert Morris. Clymer’s business ventures during and after war served to increase his wealth. In 1779 and 1780, Clymer and his son Meredith engaged in a lucrative trade with Sint Eustatius. Although not partial to the merchant business, Clymer continued in business with his father-in-law and brother-in-law until 1782.</p>