The Mystery Of Jacob Broom's Signature On The Constitution

Jacob Broom, born on October 17, 1752, in Wilmington, Delaware, was a signer of the US Constitution. He was a delegate to the US Constitutional Convention of 1787 and an American Founding Father, businessman, and politician. Broom was also an advocate for a strong central government and consistently voted for measures that assured a powerful and responsive government. He was also involved in various business and political pursuits and is known for his role in drawing maps for George Washington before the Battle of Brandywine.

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Jacob Broom's life and career

Jacob Broom was an American Founding Father, businessman, and politician from Wilmington, Delaware. He was born on October 17, 1752, and died on April 25, 1810, at the age of 57. Broom was a delegate to the US Constitutional Convention of 1787 and a signer of the United States Constitution. He also served in the Delaware General Assembly.

Broom came from a political family. His father, James Madison Broom, served, and his son, James M. Broom, became a Congressman. Broom himself was a dedicated supporter of a strong central government. He advocated for a nine-year term limit for senators, equal representation for states, and vesting state legislatures with the power to select presidential electors and veto state laws. Broom attended the sessions of the Convention in Philadelphia and spoke out on issues he deemed crucial but left most of the speech-making to more experienced delegates.

In addition to his political career, Broom was involved in philanthropic and religious activities. He was affiliated with the Old Academy and played a role in its reorganization into the College of Wilmington, serving on its first Board of Trustees. He was also a lay leader of the Old Swedes Church. Broom was interested in internal improvements, including toll roads, canals, and bridges, and was involved in an unsuccessful scheme to mine bog iron ore.

In 1795, Broom built a home near Brandywine Creek in Wilmington. He died in 1810 while on business in Philadelphia and was buried there at Christ Church Burial Ground. His home, the Jacob Broom House, was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1974. Broom Street in Madison, Wisconsin, is also named after him.

It is worth noting that there was another notable figure named Jacob Broom (1808-1864) who was a US public official and lawyer. This Jacob Broom unsuccessfully ran for president under the Native American Party (later the American Party or Know-Nothing Party) in 1852. He was elected to the US House of Representatives from Pennsylvania in 1855 but failed to secure a second term.

Broom's political beliefs

Jacob Broom was an American Founding Father, businessman, and politician from Wilmington, Delaware. He was a delegate to the US Constitutional Convention of 1787 and a signer of the US Constitution. Broom's political beliefs were centred around his support for a strong central or national government. He consistently voted for measures that would ensure a powerful government responsive to the needs of the states. Broom's other political beliefs included his support for a nine-year term limit for members of the Senate, equal representation for the states, and the vesting of state legislatures with the power to choose presidential electors. He also believed that the president should hold office for life and that state legislatures should pay their representatives in Congress, who would then have the authority to veto state laws.

Broom's political career began in 1776 when he was elected Second Burgess of Wilmington at the young age of 24. He went on to serve several terms as Chief Burgess and was later appointed as a delegate to the Annapolis Convention in 1786, although he did not attend. In addition to his political pursuits, Broom was also involved in business endeavours, including running a cotton mill and a machine shop. He was also a lay leader of the Old Swedes Church and played a role in the reorganization of the Old Academy into the College of Wilmington, serving on its first Board of Trustees.

Broom's beliefs in a strong central government and his support for the US Constitution were likely influenced by his background in business and politics. He was a prominent figure in Wilmington's business community, and this prominence propelled him into a political career. Broom was also a family man, marrying Rachel Pierce in 1773 and raising eight children together. He contributed to the Patriot Cause during the Revolution by preparing maps for George Washington before the Battle of Brandywine.

Broom's legacy is primarily associated with his role as a signer of the US Constitution. However, his various roles in business, national, state, and local politics have also contributed to his lasting impact. He served in the Delaware General Assembly and was Wilmington's first postmaster from 1790 to 1792. Broom's home, the Jacob Broom House, was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1974, and a cenotaph was placed in his honour at the Christ Episcopal Church by the Delaware State Society in 1987.

His legacy and impact

Jacob Broom is best remembered as one of the signers of the US Constitution, an event that took place over a few short months of his 58 years. However, Broom was a man of many talents and played various roles in business, national, state, and local politics. He was a dedicated supporter of a strong central government and consistently voted for measures that would assure a powerful government responsive to the needs of the states. He advocated for a nine-year term limit for members of the Senate, with equal representation for the states. Broom also believed that state legislatures should pay their representatives in Congress, which would have the power to veto state laws. He wanted the state legislatures to hold the power to select presidential electors and supported the idea of a lifetime presidency.

Broom was a delegate to the US Constitutional Convention of 1787 and represented the State of Delaware. He was also appointed as a delegate to the Annapolis Convention in 1786 but did not attend. He served in the Delaware General Assembly and was Wilmington's first postmaster from 1790 to 1792. In addition, he was involved in business ventures, including running a cotton mill and a machine shop that manufactured and repaired mill machinery. He sold these operations to Dupont, which became the centre of their business in later years. Broom was also Wilmington's chair of the Board of Directors for the Delaware Bank.

In addition to his political and business pursuits, Broom was involved in philanthropic and religious activities. He played a role in reorganizing the Old Academy into the College of Wilmington and served on its first Board of Trustees. He was also a lay leader of the Old Swedes Church in his community's religious affairs. Broom was a family man, marrying Rachel Pierce in 1773 and raising eight children. He was the father of Congressman James M. Broom and the grandfather of Congressman Jacob Broom.

Broom's legacy includes his contributions to the formation of the United States as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention and his impact on the structure and powers of the government. His support for a strong central government and his beliefs about the relationship between the states and the federal government influenced the design of the US political system. Broom's home, the Jacob Broom House, was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1974, and a cenotaph was placed in his honour at the Christ Episcopal Church by the Delaware State Society in 1987.

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Broom's family and early life

Jacob Broom was born on October 17, 1752, in Wilmington, Delaware. His father, James Broom, was a blacksmith who later became a prosperous farmer. His mother, Esther Willis, was a Quaker. Broom received his education at the Old Academy in Wilmington, Delaware. Upon completing his studies, he worked as a farmer and surveyor before venturing into business and politics. In 1773, Broom married Rachel Pierce, with whom he had eight children. One of his sons was Congressman James M. Broom, and his grandson, also named Jacob Broom, was also a Congressman.

Broom's political career began in 1776 when he became the assistant burgess (mayor) of Wilmington at the young age of 24. He was re-elected six times and later served as chief burgess for four terms. Broom's stature in the business community and his political ambitions gradually led him to the national political stage. He was an accomplished businessman and a dedicated supporter of a robust central government.

In 1786, Broom was appointed as a delegate to the Annapolis Convention but did not attend. However, he played a significant role as a delegate to the U.S. Constitutional Convention in 1787, where he was a signer of the United States Constitution, representing the state of Delaware. Broom's political beliefs included a strong preference for a powerful central government. He advocated for measures that would ensure a government responsive to the needs of the states. Broom favoured a nine-year term limit for senators and believed that state legislatures should pay their representatives in Congress. He also wanted to vest the power of selecting presidential electors with the state legislatures and supported the idea of a lifetime presidential term.

Broom was also involved in various other pursuits and interests. He had a hand in unsuccessful schemes to mine bog iron ore. Additionally, he was interested in internal improvements such as toll roads, canals, and bridges. Broom was also deeply involved in philanthropic and religious activities. He was affiliated with the Old Academy and played a role in its reorganization into the College of Wilmington, serving on its first Board of Trustees. Furthermore, he was a lay leader of the Old Swedes Church and actively participated in his community's religious affairs.

His business interests and ventures

Jacob Broom was a businessman, politician, and Founding Father of the United States from Wilmington, Delaware. He was a delegate to the US Constitutional Convention of 1787 and a signer of the United States Constitution. Broom's business interests and ventures were varied and wide-ranging.

Broom's early career saw him work as a farmer and surveyor before he became a successful businessman. He operated a cotton mill and a machine shop that manufactured mill machinery. Eventually, he sold his business to Dupont, which used Broom's property as its base of operations.

Broom was also involved in an unsuccessful scheme to mine bog iron ore. Aside from his business ventures, he had a strong interest in internal improvements, including toll roads, canals, and bridges. This interest is reflected in a letter he wrote to his son James in 1794.

Beyond his business pursuits, Broom was also dedicated to philanthropic and religious activities. He was involved in the reorganization of the Old Academy into the College of Wilmington and served on the college's first Board of Trustees. Additionally, he was a lay leader of the Old Swedes Church and played an active role in his community's religious affairs.

Broom's business stature and reputation in Wilmington led to his involvement in politics. He served as assistant burgess (mayor) of Wilmington at the age of 24 and was reelected six times before becoming chief burgess, a position he held for four terms. Broom's political career also included appointments as a delegate to the Annapolis Convention in 1786 and as a commissioner to the Constitutional Convention in 1787, where he represented the State of Delaware and signed the US Constitution.

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