George Clymer
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George Clymer (March 16, 1739–January 23, 1813) was an American politician and Founding Father. He was one of the first Patriots to advocate complete independence from Great Britain and was a signatory of the Declaration of Independence as a Pennsylvania representative. He attended the Continental Congress and served in political office until the end of his life.
Clymer was born in Philadelphia, orphaned at a young age, and apprenticed to his paternal uncle in preparation for a career as a merchant. He was a patriot and leader in the demonstrations in Philadelphia resulting from the Tea Act and the Stamp Act. He became a member of the Philadelphia Committee of Safety in 1773, and was elected to the Continental Congress 1776-1780. He was a Member of the Pennsylvania Legislature, a Revenue Officer, and a Federal Indian Agent from 1781-1796. He ws elected to the first U.S. Congress in 1789. Clymer shared the responsibility of being treasurer of the Continental Congress with Michael Hillegas, the first Treasurer of the United States.
He was the First president of the Philadelphia Bank, and the Philadelphia Academy of Fine Arts, and vice-president of the Philadelphia Agricultural Society. When congress passed a bill imposing a duty on spirits distilled in the United States in 1771, George Clymer was placed as head of the excise department, in the state of Pennsylvania. He was also one of the commissioners to negotiate a treaty with the Cherokees and the Creeks June 29, 1796. He ia also considered the benefactor of Indiana Borough, donating the property now Indiana Borough for a county seat in Indiana County, PA.
Sources
- "Clymer, George, 1739-1812." Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. [1] (http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=C000538)