Clymer, George, 1739-1813

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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.

Born in Philadelphia, he was apprenticed to his maternal aunt and uncle, Hannah and William Coleman, to prepare to become a merchant. 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 from 1776 to 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.

He resigned from Congress in 1777 and in 1780 was elected to a seat in the Pennsylvania Legislature. He was re-elected to the Pennsylvania legislature in 1784 and represented his state at the Constitutional Convention in 1787. He was elected to the first U.S. Congress in 1789. He was the first president of the Philadelphia Bank and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and vice-president of the Philadelphia Agricultural Society. When Congress passed a bill imposing a duty on spirits distilled in the United States in 1791, Clymer was placed as head of the excise department in the state of Pennsylvania. He was also one of the commissioners to negotiate a treaty with the Creek Indian confederacy at Colerain, Georgia on June 29, 1796.

In retirement, Clymer 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. He was buried at the Friends Burying Ground in Trenton, New Jersey.

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
creatorOf Clymer, George, 1739-1813. ALS, 1783 May 24, Princeton, N.J., to Ebenezer Cowell, Philadelphia. Rosenbach Museum & Library
referencedIn William Temple Franklin-Charles Pemberton Fox Legal Records, 1692-1881 American Philosophical Society
creatorOf Rosenbach, A. S. W. (Abraham Simon Wolf), 1876-1952,. Signers of the Declaration of Independence autograph collection, 1756-1818. Rosenbach Museum & Library
referencedIn Thomas Addis Emmet collection, 1483-1876 (bulk:1700-1800) New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division
creatorOf Clymer, George, 1739-1813. George Clymer papers, 1781-1793. Library of Congress
referencedIn Wills, 1790-1822, of signers of the Declaration of Independence. American Philosophical Society Library
referencedIn Joseph Halle Schaffner autograph collection, 1683-1948. Houghton Library
referencedIn Frederick Smyth papers, 1756-1816, 1756-1816 American Philosophical Society
referencedIn American Philosophical Society Library. Miscellaneous Manuscripts Collection. 1668-1983. American Philosophical Society
referencedIn Read family. Papers, 1568-1906 (bulk 1775-1906). Library of Congress
referencedIn Abbott, Samuel Warren, 1837-1904. Samuel Warren Abbott papers, circa 1861-1887. Library of Congress
creatorOf George Clymer letters and documents, 1792-1812 New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division
referencedIn Smyth, Frederick, 1732-1815. Papers, 1756-1816. American Philosophical Society Library
creatorOf Clymer, George, 1739-1813. ALS, 30 May 1791 / to General [Edward] Hand, Philadelphia. Copley Press, J S Copley Library
referencedIn Colonel Richard Gimbel Collection of Thomas Paine Papers, 1692 - Circa 1921 American Philosophical Society
referencedIn Sparks, Jared, 1789-1866. Collection of documents concerning the American Revolution, 1740-1866 Houghton Library
creatorOf Clymer, George, 1739-1813. Letter to George Simpson, 1805 January 2. University of Pennsylvania Libraries, Van Pelt Library
referencedIn Henry A. Willard II Collection, 1743-1888, (bulk 1770-1840) Library of Congress. Manuscript Division
creatorOf Clymer, George, 1739-1813. ALS, 1792 Dec. 28, Philadelphia, Pa., to Gen. Edward Hand, Lancaster, Pa. Rosenbach Museum & Library
referencedIn Fox family. Legal papers, 1686-1881. American Philosophical Society Library
referencedIn Adams, John, 1735-1826. Letters to Benjamin Rush and Mercy Otis Warren, 1813-1814. University of Virginia. Library
creatorOf George Clymer Papers, 1745-1848, 1745-1848 American Philosophical Society
referencedIn James Freeman Clarke family papers, 1777-1914. Houghton Library
creatorOf McCall, Virginia,. Autograph collection, 1802-1907. Haverford College Library
referencedIn Frederick M. Dearborn collection of military and political Americana, Part I: The Revolution and the Administration, 1669-1958. Houghton Library
referencedIn FitzSimons, Thomas, 1741-1811. Letter : New York, to Benjamin Rush, 1789 Jun 20. Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library
referencedIn American Philosophical Society Archives. Record Group IIa, 1743-1806 American Philosophical Society
referencedIn FitzSimons, Thomas, 1741-1811. Letter : New York, to Benjamin Rush, 1789 Jun 20. Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library
referencedIn Autograph File, C Houghton Library
referencedIn Powel, Samuel, 1738-1793. Powel Family Papers, Samuel Powel (1738-1793) Series, 1729-1791. Historical Society of Pennsylvania
referencedIn Gratz, Simon. Alphabetical collection, 1677-1910. Historical Society of Pennsylvania
referencedIn American Philosophical Society Archives. Record Group IIb, 1807-1825 American Philosophical Society
creatorOf Dorothy Merriman Schall papers, 1686-1897 Haverford College Quaker & Special Collections
referencedIn Hamilton, James, 1752-1819. James Hamilton collection, 1733-1899. Historical Society of Pennsylvania
creatorOf Clymer, George, 1739-1813. Autograph letter signed, 1791 Apr. 25. Pierpont Morgan Library.
creatorOf Clymer, George, 1739-1813. ALS : to William Rawle, 1793 Feb. 9. Rosenbach Museum & Library
creatorOf Pennsylvania. Committee of Safety. Draft, 1776 May 18, Philadelphia, on the gun lock manufactory. Rosenbach Museum & Library
creatorOf Clymer, George, 1739-1813. ALS, 1779 April 2, Roxborough, to unknown. Copley Press, J S Copley Library
referencedIn Letters and documents of signers of the Declaration of Independence, 1750-1933. Houghton Library
referencedIn Read Family Papers, 1568-1906, (bulk 1775-1906) Library of Congress. Manuscript Division
creatorOf Clymer-Meredith-Read family papers, 1675-1902, bulk (1760s-1850s). New York State Historical Documents Inventory
creatorOf Mease, James, 1771-1846. Letters, 1803-1846. University of Pennsylvania Libraries, Van Pelt Library
creatorOf Clymer, George, 1739-1813,. Autograph letter initialled from George Clymer to George Clymer, Jr., Philadelphia [manuscript], ca. 1799. Folger Shakespeare Library
creatorOf Clymer, George, 1739-1813. Papers, 1785-1848. American Philosophical Society Library
referencedIn Adams, John, 1735-1826. Letter to Benjamin Rush [manuscript], 1813 February 3. University of Virginia. Library
referencedIn Robinson, Elmer E., 1894-1982,. Americana, 1765-1969. Stanford University. Department of Special Collections and University Archives
referencedIn Read family. Papers, 1810-1852, 1810-1852, 1879. Historical Society of Pennsylvania
creatorOf Clymer, George, 1739-1813. ALS : Philadelphia, to Jacob Bowman, 1806 Sept. 24. Rosenbach Museum & Library
creatorOf Clymer, George, 1739-1813. DS, 1776 April 4 : to John Nixon and Committee of Accounts. Copley Press, J S Copley Library
creatorOf Clymer, George, 1739-1813. Receipt signed : Philadelphia, [n.d.]. Pierpont Morgan Library.
referencedIn Wills, 1790-1822, of signers of the Declaration of Independence, 1790-1822 American Philosophical Society
creatorOf Clymer, George, 1739-1813. [Letter and document] / G. Clymer. Smith College, Neilson Library
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
correspondedWith Abbott, Samuel Warren, 1837-1904. person
associatedWith Adams, John, 1735-1826. person
associatedWith Agassiz, Louis, 1807-1873 person
associatedWith American Philosophical Society. corporateBody
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associatedWith Banks, Joseph, Sir, 1743-1820 person
associatedWith Bowman, Jacob, ca. 1745-1831, person
associatedWith Cadwalader, Lambert person
correspondedWith Clarke, James Freeman, 1810-1888 person
associatedWith Clymer, George, d. 1848, person
correspondedWith Clymer, Harry person
associatedWith Cooper, Thomas, 1759-1839 person
associatedWith Coues, Elliott, 1842-1899 person
associatedWith Cowell, Ebenezer. person
associatedWith Cuvier, Georges, Baron, 1769-1832 person
associatedWith Darlington, William, 1782-1863 person
associatedWith Dearborn, Frederick M. (Frederick Myers), b. 1876 person
associatedWith Drinker, Henry, 1734-1809. person
associatedWith Edison, Thomas A., (Thomas Alva), 1847-1931 person
associatedWith Edward Price person
associatedWith Einstein, Albert, 1879-1955 person
associatedWith Emmet, Thomas Addis person
associatedWith Everett, Edward, 1794-1865 person
associatedWith Fitch, John person
associatedWith FitzSimons, Thomas, 1741-1811. person
associatedWith Fox family family
associatedWith Francis, Tench, 1730-1800. person
associatedWith Franklin, William Temple, 1760-1823 person
associatedWith Genth, F. A., (Frederick Augustus), 1820-1893 person
associatedWith George Clymer Estate person
associatedWith Gratz, Simon. person
associatedWith Gray, Asa, 1810-1888 person
associatedWith Greeley, Horace, 1811-1872 person
associatedWith Hamilton, James, 1752-1819. person
associatedWith Hand, Edward, 1744-1802. person
associatedWith Harding, Warren G. person
associatedWith Heysham, John, 1753-1834 person
associatedWith Hubbard, John, collector. person
associatedWith James Gibson person
associatedWith John Read person
associatedWith Knox, William, 1732-1810 person
associatedWith Law, Samuel Andrew. person
associatedWith Longacre, James Barton, 1794-1869. person
associatedWith McCall, Virginia, person
associatedWith Mease, James, 1771-1846. person
associatedWith Meredith, Samuel, 1741-1817. person
associatedWith Meredith, Thomas. person
associatedWith Meredith, William, 1772-1844. person
associatedWith Newcomb, Simon person
associatedWith Newton, Isaac, Sir, 1642-1727 person
associatedWith Nixon, John, 1733-1808. person
associatedWith Paine, Thomas, 1737-1809 person
associatedWith Pennsylvania. Committee of Safety. corporateBody
associatedWith Poinsett, Joel Roberts, 1779-1851 person
associatedWith Powel, Samuel, 1738-1793. person
associatedWith Rawle, William, 1759-1836, person
associatedWith Read family. family
correspondedWith Read family. family
correspondedWith Read Family family
associatedWith Read, John, 1769-1854. person
associatedWith Rittenhouse, David, 1732-1796 person
associatedWith Robinson, Elmer E., 1894-1982, person
associatedWith Rosenbach, A. S. W. (Abraham Simon Wolf), 1876-1952, person
associatedWith Rush, Benjamin, 1746-1813 person
associatedWith S. A. Law person
associatedWith Samuel F. Fisher person
associatedWith Samuel Meredith person
associatedWith Schaffner, Joseph Halle, 1897-1972 person
associatedWith Schoolcraft, Henry Rowe, 1793-1864 person
associatedWith Seybert, Adam, 1773-1825 person
associatedWith Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616 person
associatedWith Sheridan, Richard Brinsley, 1751-1816 person
associatedWith Simpson, George, 1759-1822, person
associatedWith Smyth, Frederick, 1732-1815. person
associatedWith Snyder, Simon, 1759-1819 person
associatedWith Sparks, Jared, 1789-1866 person
associatedWith Sparks, Jared, 1789-1866 person
associatedWith State of Pennsylvania person
associatedWith Stevens, Henry person
associatedWith Sully, Thomas, 1783-1872 person
associatedWith Tench Francis person
associatedWith Thomas Meredith person
associatedWith Thomson, Charles, 1729-1824 person
associatedWith Trott, Benjamin, ca. 1770-1843. person
associatedWith Waterton, Charles, 1782-1865 person
associatedWith Wayne, Anthony person
associatedWith Wharton, Charles Henry, 1748-1833 person
associatedWith Willard, Henry A. (Henry Augustus), 1902- person
Place Name Admin Code Country
Philadelphia PA US
Morrisville PA US
Subject
Education
Business and Skilled Trades
Constitutional history
Estate
Finance, Personal
Land and Speculation
Marriage and Family Life
Patents
Power of attorney
Taxation
Trust indentures
Whiskey Rebellion, Pa., 1794
Occupation
Businessmen
Delegates, U.S. Continental Congress
Merchants
Representatives, U.S. Congress
Activity

Person

Birth 1739-03-16

Death 1813-01-23

Male

Britons,

Americans

English

Information

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