Titus Hosmer facts for kids
Titus Hosmer (1736 – August 4, 1780) was an important American leader and lawyer from Middletown, Connecticut. He is considered one of the Founding Fathers because he helped create the United States. In 1778, he represented Connecticut at the Continental Congress, where he signed the Articles of Confederation, which was like the first rulebook for the new country.
About Titus Hosmer
Early Life and Education
Titus Hosmer was born in West Hartford, Connecticut. He went to Yale and finished his studies in 1757. After college, he studied law and became a lawyer. He then started his law practice in Middletown, Connecticut.
A Leader in Government
Titus was elected to the Connecticut State Assembly every year from 1773 to 1778. In 1777, he even served as their speaker, which means he led the meetings. In May 1778, he became a member of the State Senate and stayed in that job until he passed away.
Later in 1778, the state government sent him to be one of their representatives at the Second Continental Congress. This was a very important group of leaders who helped guide the American colonies during the American Revolutionary War. On January 22, 1780, the Continental Congress chose him to be a federal judge on a special court called the Court of Appeals in Cases of Capture.
Titus Hosmer died in Middletown on August 4, 1780. He is buried in Mortimer Cemetery there. A writer named Joel Barlow, whom Hosmer had helped, wrote a special poem to honor him after his death.
His Family
Titus Hosmer married Lydia Lord on November 29, 1761, in Middletown. They had two sons who became important figures. Their son, Stephen Hosmer, became a lawyer and later the chief judge of the Connecticut Supreme Court. Their other son, Hezekiah Lord Hosmer, became a representative for New York in the United States House of Representatives.
Titus also had a grandson, also named Hezekiah Lord Hosmer. This grandson became the first chief judge of the Montana Territory and wrote several books.
