George Clymer

George Clymer was born in 1739 in Philadelphia, was orphaned young, and was raised by a wealthy uncle to be a merchant. He was an early opponent of the Stamp Act, served on local patriot committees, and in 1776 was named to the Continental Congress after the 4 July vote, as Pennsylvania reorganized its delegation. He signed the Declaration of Independence and later signed the Constitution, one of a small group of men who put their names to both. During the British advance on Philadelphia his family had to leave their home in Chester County, and the house was vandalized. After the war Clymer served in the first federal Congress and in offices dealing with public finance and treaties. He died in 1813. His career was that of a practical merchant who accepted hard public work and stayed with the new government after the fighting ended.

See also: Signers of the Declaration · Robert Morris · Benjamin Rush · Benjamin Franklin · John Morton · James Wilson