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Roger Sherman (April 19, 1721 – July 23, 1793) was an early American politician, lawyer, and Founding Father of the United States. He is the only person to have signed all four of the most significant documents in US history: the Continental Association, the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the United States Constitution. This paragraph will explore whether Roger Sherman signed the Constitution and discuss his other contributions to US history.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Roger Sherman |
| Born | 19 April 1721 |
| Birthplace | Newton, Massachusetts |
| Died | 23 July 1793 |
| Occupation | Lawyer, politician |
| Signed | Continental Association, Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation, United States Constitution |
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What You'll Learn
Roger Sherman's life and career
Roger Sherman was an early American politician, lawyer, and Founding Father of the United States. He was born on April 19, 1721, in Newton, Massachusetts, and died on July 23, 1793, in New Haven, Connecticut. Sherman's family relocated to Dorchester (present-day Stoughton, Massachusetts) when he was two years old. His father, William, was a farmer and shoemaker, and young Roger helped with farming chores and learned the shoemaking trade from him.
Despite limited formal education, Sherman had a strong aptitude for learning and accessed his father's good library. He also received guidance from a Harvard-educated parish minister, Reverend Samuel Dunbar, who helped him acquire knowledge in mathematics, sciences, literature, and philosophy. In 1743, Sherman and his family moved to New Milford, Connecticut, where he opened the town's first store, a cobbler shop, with his brother William. That same year, he was appointed surveyor of New Haven County and later Litchfield County, a role that embedded him deeply in the community and its affairs.
Sherman began his political career in New Milford, serving as the town clerk and lobbying on behalf of the town at the provincial assembly. He also wrote and published a popular almanac annually from 1750 to 1761. In 1754, he was admitted to the bar in Litchfield, Connecticut, and began his legal career. He represented New Milford in the Connecticut House of Representatives from 1755 to 1758 and again from 1760 to 1761. He served as a justice of the peace in Litchfield County from 1755 onwards and was appointed a judge of the court of common pleas in 1765. By the 1780s, he had risen to the position of judge of the superior court.
Sherman's political career extended beyond Connecticut. He was a member of the Continental Congress from 1774 to 1781 and again from 1783 to 1784. He was a signatory to the Continental Association, the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the United States Constitution, making him the only person to sign all four great state papers of the United States. He also served as a delegate to the 1787 Philadelphia Convention, which produced the United States Constitution. After the ratification of the Constitution, he represented Connecticut in the United States House of Representatives from 1789 to 1791 and in the United States Senate from 1791 until his death in 1793.
Throughout his career, Sherman demonstrated a commitment to American independence and the rights of smaller states. He was an early supporter of independence from Britain and actively participated in the fight, supporting nonimportation measures and heading the New Haven committee of correspondence. He was also a skilled legislator, known for his legislative creativity and understanding of compromise and collaboration. His work on the Articles of Confederation and his plan for representation of large and small states at the Constitutional Convention of 1787 reflected his political acumen.
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The US Constitution's signing
Roger Sherman, born on April 19, 1721, in Newton, Massachusetts, was an early American politician, lawyer, and Founding Father of the United States. He is the only person to have signed all four of the most significant documents in the early history of the nation: the Continental Association, the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the United States Constitution.
Sherman's political career began in Connecticut, where he served in various judicial and legislative roles. He was a member of the First Continental Congress and signed the Continental Association, which imposed an economic boycott on all British trade. Sherman was also a delegate to the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia, where he signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776 and helped draft this document as part of the Committee of Five.
In addition to his role in the Declaration of Independence, Sherman was a member of the committee of 13 responsible for drafting the Articles of Confederation, the new nation's first constitution. During the debates, Sherman proposed a bicameral national legislature where states would be equally represented. However, his proposal was rejected, and a unicameral legislature was adopted instead.
Sherman was an influential member of the Constitutional Convention of 1787, despite being a "terse, ineloquent speaker." He was the second eldest member at 66 years old and actively participated in the proceedings, making motions or seconds 160 times. After the new Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, Sherman represented Connecticut in the House of Representatives in the first session of the new United States Congress in 1789. He served in this role until 1791, when he was selected as a United States Senator for Connecticut, a position he held until his death on July 23, 1793.
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Sherman's role in the Declaration of Independence
Roger Sherman (1721-1793) was an early American politician, lawyer, and Founding Father of the United States. He is the only person to have signed all four great state papers of the United States: the Continental Association, the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the Constitution.
Sherman played a significant role in the Declaration of Independence, which he signed in 1776. As a member of the Second Continental Congress, he was appointed to the Committee of Five that drafted the Declaration of Independence. Sherman was also a member of the committee of 13 that was responsible for preparing a draft constitution for the new nation. During the debates, Sherman proposed a bicameral national legislature where states would be equally represented. However, the committee of 13 rejected his proposal, opting instead for a unicameral legislature and what would become the Articles of Confederation.
In addition to his role in the Declaration of Independence, Sherman held numerous public offices and served in various political roles. He served in the Connecticut legislature, as a justice of the peace, and as a judge of the superior court. He represented Connecticut at the Continental Congress and was a delegate to the 1787 Philadelphia Convention, which produced the United States Constitution. Sherman's plan for representation of large and small states prevented a deadlock at the Constitutional Convention.
Sherman's influence extended beyond politics, as he was also appointed treasurer of Yale College and served as a professor of religion for many years. He maintained correspondences with theologians and played a role in establishing guidelines for U.S. Embassy officials in Canada, emphasizing religious freedom and civil rights.
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Sherman's political views and legacy
Roger Sherman (April 19, 1721–July 23, 1793) was an early American politician, lawyer, and Founding Father of the United States. He is the only person to have signed all four of the most significant documents in the early history of the nation: the Continental Association, the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the United States Constitution.
Political Views
Sherman's political views were heavily influenced by his home state of Connecticut, which was largely isolationist and self-sufficient. He believed that the national government needed a way to raise revenue and regulate commerce. Sherman also held Puritan views and opposed slavery, using it as a tool for negotiation and alliance. He believed that slavery was already gradually being abolished and that the trend was moving southward.
Sherman was also a strong supporter of nonimportation measures and headed the New Haven committee of correspondence. He was a member of the First Continental Congress, where he signed the Continental Association to impose an economic boycott on all British trade. In the Second Continental Congress, he was appointed to the Committee of Five, which drafted the Declaration of Independence.
Legacy
Sherman devoted a large portion of his life to public service, often holding multiple high-profile political and judicial positions simultaneously. He served as a delegate to the 1787 Philadelphia Convention, which produced the United States Constitution. After the Constitution was ratified, he represented Connecticut in the United States House of Representatives from 1789 to 1791 and in the United States Senate from 1791 until his death in 1793.
Sherman's legacy is one of dedicated public service, and his political influence extended beyond his lifetime, as his grandson, Roger Sherman Baldwin, served as a US senator and governor of Connecticut. Two of his other grandsons, George F. Hoar and William M. Evarts, also served as US senators, with Evarts serving as secretary of state under President Rutherford B.
The town of Sherman, Connecticut, was named in his honour, and he is portrayed on the pediment of the Jefferson Memorial as a member of the Committee of Five.
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Sherman's personal life and character
Roger Sherman was born on April 19, 1721, in Newton, Massachusetts, United States. Sherman's family relocated to Dorchester (present-day Stoughton) when he was two years old. His parents, William and Mehetabel Sherman, were farmers. Sherman's education was limited to his father's library, a good grammar school by the standards of the day, and the guidance of a Harvard-educated parish minister, Reverend Samuel Dunbar. He supplemented his schooling with extensive reading in his spare time.
Sherman's early career was as a shoemaker, a trade he learned from his father. In 1743, two years after his father's death, he moved to New Milford, Connecticut, with his mother and siblings, joining his brother who had already settled there. In partnership with his brother William, he opened the town's first store, a cobbler shop. The income from this shop enabled him to buy land and establish a favourable reputation in the county. In 1745, he was appointed surveyor of New Haven County.
Sherman then studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1754. He held numerous public offices, serving in the Connecticut legislature from 1755 to 1766. In 1755, he became a justice of the peace in Litchfield County and later rose to become a judge of the superior court, a position he held into the 1780s. In 1761, he abandoned his law practice and moved to New Haven, Connecticut, where he managed two stores. In 1763, he married Rebecca Prescott, with whom he had eight or nine children.
Sherman was a longtime and influential member of the Continental Congress and a staunch conservative. Despite his conservative leanings, he was an early supporter of American independence from Britain. He was a critical opponent of James Madison and the more populous states. He was also a major benefactor of Yale College, serving as its treasurer for many years. He died in his sleep on July 23, 1793, of typhoid fever.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Roger Sherman signed the US Constitution.
Roger Sherman was a lawyer and politician. He also worked as a surveyor and a shoemaker.
Roger Sherman was a Founding Father of the United States and served in various roles, including delegate to the Continental Congress, member of the Committee of Five, and representative and senator for Connecticut.
The Continental Association, the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the Constitution.
Roger Sherman played a significant role in shaping the US Constitution. He proposed a bicameral national legislature, which led to the formation of the Connecticut Compromise, and he is also credited with fathering the Connecticut Compromise, which resulted in a bicameral legislature.
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