George Clymer facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
George Clymer
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Portrait by Charles Willson Peale
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| Born | March 16, 1739 |
| Died | January 23, 1813 (aged 73) |
| Resting place | Friends Burying Ground Trenton, New Jersey |
| Known for | Founding Father of the United States |
| Spouse(s) |
Elizabeth Meredith
(m. 1765) |
| Children | 10 |
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George Clymer (born March 16, 1739 – died January 23, 1813) was an important American leader and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. He was one of only six people who signed both the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. Clymer was one of the first patriots to believe that the American colonies should be completely free from Britain. He worked in politics for most of his life, helping to shape the new United States.
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Early Life and Family
George Clymer was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on March 16, 1739. He became an orphan when he was only one year old. His aunt and uncle, Hannah and William Coleman, raised him. They trained him to become a merchant, which means someone who buys and sells goods.
In 1765, George Clymer married Elizabeth Meredith. They had ten children together, but sadly, four of them died when they were very young. His oldest son, Henry, was born in 1767. Other children who lived to be adults included John Meredith, Margaret, George, and Ann.
A Leader for Independence
George Clymer was a strong supporter of American independence. He played a key role in protests in Philadelphia against unfair British laws, like the Tea Act and the Stamp Act. He even led a group of volunteers who supported the American cause.
In 1773, he joined the Philadelphia Committee of Safety. This group worked to protect the colonies during the American Revolution. From 1776 to 1780, Clymer was elected to the Continental Congress. This was the governing body of the American colonies during the war. He also served as a treasurer for the Continental Congress.
When the British army threatened Philadelphia, Congress had to leave the city. But George Clymer bravely stayed behind to help. His business dealings during and after the war helped him become wealthy.
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Shaping the New Nation
After leaving the Continental Congress in 1777, Clymer was elected to the Pennsylvania Legislature in 1780. In 1787, he represented Pennsylvania at the Constitutional Convention. This was where the U.S. Constitution was written. He was then elected to the first U.S. Congress in 1789.
Clymer held many important positions. He was the first president of The Philadelphia Bank and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. He also helped negotiate a treaty with the Creek Indian people in 1796. He is also known for donating the land for the county seat in Indiana County, Pennsylvania, which is now Indiana Borough.
George Clymer passed away on January 23, 1813. He was buried in the Friends Burying Ground in Trenton, New Jersey.
George Clymer and Slavery
George Clymer's family had owned a few enslaved people. When he was seven years old, he inherited an enslaved man named Ned from his father. However, Ned died soon after.
During the Constitutional Convention, Clymer was against the slave trade. This was a very difficult issue for the people writing the Constitution. Clymer was part of a committee that worked on a compromise about the slave trade. This compromise allowed the slave trade to continue for a limited time, until 1808. Clymer also supported a tax on exports, which was a way to indirectly tax slavery. This tax was included in the final compromise.
Legacy and Memorials
George Clymer is remembered in many ways today.
- The USS George Clymer (APA-27), a ship, was named in his honor.
- The towns of Clymer, Pennsylvania, and Clymer, New York are named after him.
- There is a George Clymer Elementary School in Philadelphia.
- His home in Morrisville, Pennsylvania, called Summerseat, is still standing. Another house he owned in Philadelphia, Ridgeland Mansion, also still exists.
- Several streets are named after him, including Clymer Avenue in Morrisville and Indiana, Pennsylvania, and Clymer Street in Reading, Pennsylvania.
See also
