Born in 1730 and educated in Philadelphia, George Ross became one of Lancaster's wealthiest and most famous lawyers. Then on a hot summer day in 1776, Ross helped make history when he became Lancaster's sole signer of the Declaration of Independence. George Ross, signer of the Declaration of Independence from Pennsylvania, was born 10 May 1730, at New Castle Delaware. He married 17 August 1751, Ann Lawler (d. 1773), daughter of Andrew and Mary Lawler. He signed the Declaration of Independence as "Charles Carroll of Carrollton," a form of his name that he used to distinguish himself from a number of other Maryland Charles Carrolls. Often assumed to depict the signing of the Declaration of Independence, Trumbull actually chose to immortalize the moment when the Committee of Five presented their draft of the Declaration to John Hancock and the Continental Congress. Ross continued to serve his provincial legislature and was a member of the Committee of Safety for his colony in 1775. In 1776 he was again elected to the Continental Congress, while serving as a provincial legislator, and a Colonel in the Continental Army. Betsy Ross Mary Goddard Abigail Adams Martha Washington Fact: Mary Katharine Goddard is a largely overlooked figure in American history, yet her name appears on the Declaration of Independence alongside those of the Founding Fathers. Though she didn’t sign the document, she played a vital role in its legacy. George Ross Jr (May 10, 1730 – July 14, 1779) was a Founding Father of the United States who signed the Continental Association and the United States Declaration of Independence as a representative of Pennsylvania. Ross, refusing to acknowledge the authority of the higher court to counter State decisions, initiated a dispute between Pennsylvania and the Central Government that represented an early manifestation of the States rights controversy and did not subside until 1809. The identity of this trustee is still unclear. Penn trustee George Ross is definitely not the George Ross who signed the Declaration of Independence and died in 1779; but he may have been his son, born in 1752 and also named George Ross, who later served as Recorder of Deeds and Register of Wills in Lancaster County. In 1763, he married the widowed sister of George Ross, fellow signer of the Declaration of Independence from Pennsylvania and uncle of Betsy Ross. What is impressive is Read’s forty year involvement in local, state, and national politics during which time he embraced both the politics of reconciliation with Britain in 1776 and the politics of George Ross (May 10, 1730 – July 14, 1779) was a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence as a representative of Pennsylvania. He was the uncle of Betsy Ross, who is credited with making the first American flag. Signers of the Declaration of Independence Download this Information in PDF Format Born in New Castle, Delaware, George Ross was a lawyer, prosecutor, politician, colonel in the Continental Army, judge, and a patriot of the American Revolution. He practiced law in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and was also a member of the First and Second Continental Congress, the First Pennsylvania Constitutional Convention, and a number of other government committees during the Revolutionary era George Ross was a Pennsylvania delegate to the Continental Congress and among the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence. Click for more facts. In 1776, as a delegate to the Second Continental Congress, Ross proudly signed the Declaration of Independence. A staunch patriot, Ross served on Pennsylvania’s Committee of Safety, organizing He was the last man of the Pennsylvania delegation to sign the Declaration of Independence. [12] In March 1778 while he was Deputy Quartermaster General of the Lancaster County Militia, he wrote a letter in response to Colonel Gibson’s request for four wagons for the purpose of conveying clothing to headquarters. Declaration of Independence Signer. He was a representative from the State of Pennsylvania. Born in New Castle, Delaware, he studied law and moved to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where he set up a law practice. One of his first clients was Anne Lawler, a pretty young woman that he fell in love with and married in 1751. Lives of the Signers to the Declaration of Independence. New York: W. Reed & Company, 1829. (pp. 309-312) ↑ 6.0 6.1 Green, Harry Clinton; & Green, Mary Wolcott. The pioneer mothers of America; a record of the more notable women of the early days of the country, and particularly of the colonial and revolutionary periods. New York: GP Putnam After serving on the provincial legislature, he was appointed to the Continental Congress, where he became a signer of the Declaration of Independence. While serving on the Congress, George simultaneously served as a colonel in the Pennsylvania militia and as Vice-President of the first constitutional convention for Pennsylvania. In 1776, he was again elected to the Continental Congress, while serving as a provincial legislator and a Colonel in the Continental Army. His strong stance for the Colonists’ freedom led to his greatest contribution by being one of nine signers of the Declaration of Independence from Pennsylvania.
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