Description:

Ellsworth Oliver

Constitution Drafter, Oliver Ellsworth 1776 Autographed Revolutionary War Document

 

Single page document on laid paper, 8" x 5.5," executed entirely in the hand of Oliver Ellsworth and signed by him as "by the Hand of Oliver Ellsworth Esq." Dated "Sept 16th, 1776," as a Revolutionary War pay voucher for the men "of the Regiment under my command" and additionally signed along the bottom by a Connecticut officer of the militia. Lightly toned with single soft center fold. Near fine.

 

An outstanding 1776 pay voucher for the Connecticut Militia, written only 6 weeks after the signing of the Declaration of Independence. With the colonies going to war against Britain, Washington had just made a decision to withdraw from New York City on September 12th believing the city would be difficult to defend. Three days later, the British occupied the city. This pay voucher for the CT militia was from this very period of history written as "Recd of the State of Connecticut by the hand of Oliver Ellsworth Esq - Twelve pounds- to pay out at the rate of Twenty shillings per man - to individuals of the Regiment under my Command … on their march to Westchester on account of their March taking their rec accordingly - " (Westchester is located just outside of New York City).  They were on their way to fight in the Battle of White Plains a major event that took place only weeks later. This important document is signed and written in the hand of Oliver Ellsworth, a significant revolutionary who later participated in the drafting of the United States Constitution and who played a very active role in the Constitutional Convention in 1787 in Philadelphia. 

 

A fascinating and important document from a turning point in US history. Ellsworth's multi-faceted role as a founding father cannot be overstated. His involvement spanned from the Revolution, to co-drafting the Constitution, to promoting the Great Compromise that led to a House of Representatives with proportional representation and a Senate with fixed representation based on two Senators per state; to being an important force in the Senate promoting Alexander Hamilton's national debt funding program thus starting the Bank of the United States. By 1796, Ellsworth left the Senate to become the third Chief Justice of the United States.


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