Read, George, 1733-1798

<p>George Read (born: September 18, 1733 – died September 21, 1798) was a politician from New Castle in New Castle County, Delaware. He was a Founding Father of the United States who signed the 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.</p>

<p>Read was one of only two statesmen who signed four of the great State papers on which the country's history is based: the original Petition to the King of the Congress of 1774, the Continental Association, the Declaration of Independence, and the Constitution of the United States.</p>

<p>George Read was the son of John and Mary (Howell) Read. George's father was born in Dublin, Ireland, the son of an Englishman of large fortune belonging to the family of Read of Berkshire, Hertfordshire, and Oxfordshire. The death of his beloved having left George's father bereft, John Read came to the American colonies and, with a view of diverting his mind, entered into extensive enterprises in Maryland and Delaware.</p>

<ul><b>RACES</b>
<li>11/04/1790 DE US Senate Won 100.00% (+100.00%)</li>
<li>02/10/1789 DE US Senate Won 100.00% (+100.00%)</li>
<li>10/01/1781 DE House - New Castle Won 14.29% (+0.00%)</li>
<li>10/01/1780 DE House - New Castle Won 14.29% (+0.00%)</li>
<li>10/20/1777 President of Delaware - Acting Won 100.00% (+100.00%)</li>
<li>12/31/1776 DE Continental Congress Won 100.00% (+100.00%)</li>
<li>12/31/1775 DE Continental Congress Won 100.00% (+100.00%)</li>
<li>12/31/1774 DE Continental Congress Won 100.00% (+100.00%)</li>
<li>09/01/1774 DE Continental Congress Won 100.00% (+100.00%)</li>
</ul>

<p>George Read was born on his family farm near North East, Cecil County, Maryland in 1733. He attended a school in Chester, Pennsylvania then the Philadelphia Academy under Doctor Allison at New London. At fifteen he graduated and proceeded to study law at the office of John Moland in Philadelphia. He was admitted to the Philadelphia Bar in 1753. He moved to New Castle Delaware to establish a new practice the following year. He established quite a reputation there and was appointed Attorney-general to three Delaware counties, an office which he resigned in 1774 when he was elected to the first Continental Congress. In 1764, the period leading up to the stamp act protests, Read had joined the Delaware Committee of Correspondence and was active in the patriot movement. At the Continental Congress he found Lee's Resolution for Independence to be too hasty and voted against it. When it was adopted, however, he joined the majority in working toward independence.</p>

<p>In 1776 Read was called upon to join the Constitutional Convention in Delaware, where he served as president of the committee that drafted the document. In 1777 the British captured Delaware governor John McKinly and Read took over as governor in the emergency. He led the state through the crisis of the war, raising money, troops, and supplies for the defense of his state.</p>

<p>In 1779 he suffered a bout of poor health and had to retire from official duties. He recovered, however, and was appointed Judge in Court of Appeals in admiralty cases three years later. Read went on to be twice elected State Senator under the new constitution, and later still was appointed Chief Justice of the State of Delaware. He served in that office until his death in 1798.</p>