John Witherspoon

(1723-1794)

American Founding Father and minister

more_vert

127 views

favorite

About

edit

Jump to

Family
Relationships
Associates
Similar

John Witherspoon (February 5, 1723 – November 15, 1794) was a Scottish-American Presbyterian minister, educator, farmer, slaveholder, and a Founding Father of the United States. Witherspoon embraced the concepts of Scottish common sense realism, and while president of the College of New Jersey (1768–1794; now Princeton University) became an influential figure in the development of the United States' national character. Politically active, Witherspoon was a delegate from New Jersey to the Second Continental Congress and a signatory to the July 4, 1776, Declaration of Independence. He was the only active clergyman and the only college president to sign the Declaration. Later, he signed the Articles of Confederation and supported ratification of the Constitution of the United States.

Key details

edit section

Born	5 February 1723 Gifford, Scotland
Died	15 November 1794 (aged 71) Near Princeton, New Jersey, US
Zodiac	Aquarius
Tags	Add tag

Family members

add

Other family members

John Witherspoon Smith · Grandson · 1778-1829 · 1820s U.S. Attorney in New Orleans edit info

expand_more
John C. Breckinridge · Great-grandson · 1821-1875 · Vice president of the United States from 1857 to 1861 edit info

expand_more