Thomas McKean
Thomas McKean carried Delaware and Pennsylvania law into the Stamp Act Congress, the Declaration, and later the governorship, making him one of the most institutionally active founders.
Born March 19, 1734 / Died June 24, 1817
On March 19, 1734, in New London Township, Province of Pennsylvania, Thomas McKean was born to a Scotch-Irish family with strong Presbyterian ties. He studied law in New Castle, Delaware, built a successful legal practice, and quickly moved into county and assembly offices. Those early legal appointments made him a prominent defender of colonial rights before independence was declared.
McKean attended the Stamp Act Congress in 1765, served in the Continental Congress, and signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776. He also signed the Articles of Confederation, served as president of Delaware, and held the office of chief justice in Pennsylvania while the Revolution still raged. From 1799 to 1808 he governed Pennsylvania, carrying Founding Era politics into the partisan republic of the Jefferson years.
McKean's long career linked the Declaration to state courts, the Articles of Confederation, and the executive power of one of the largest states. His service across several constitutions showed how Revolutionary legitimacy was converted into durable legal and political institutions after independence.
Key Contributions
- Thomas McKean was an American lawyer, politician, and Founding Father.
- As one of Delaware's delegates, Thomas helped tie Delaware to the Declaration of Independence in 1776 and to the new republican order that followed.
- On July 4, 1776, Thomas McKean signed the Declaration of Independence as part of the political leadership tied to Delaware.
Related Events
Declaration of Independence adopted
On July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress approved Thomas Jefferson's Declaration of Independence and ordered the document printed as the public case for separation.
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