- March 6, 1809, 217 years ago — Death of Thomas Heyward Jr..
- March 6, 1724, 302 years ago — Birth of Henry Laurens, President of the Continental Congress.
- March 7, 1707, 319 years ago — Birth of Stephen Hopkins, signer of the Declaration of Independence.
- March 7, 1699, 327 years ago — Birth of Susanna Boylston Adams, mother of John Adams.
Benjamin Harrison
HARRISON, Benjamin, signer of the Declaration of Independence, born in Berkeley, Charles City County, Va., about 1726; died there, 24 April, 1791.
He was educated at William and Mary College and became a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses. Harrison was a delegate to the Continental Congress from 1774 to 1777 and signed the Declaration of Independence.
He served as speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates and was elected governor of Virginia in 1781. His administration faced challenges from war debts and frontier unrest, but he remained a respected leader.
Harrison was known for his humor, patriotism, and devotion to public service. His son, William Henry Harrison, became the ninth President of the United States, and his great-grandson, Benjamin Harrison, became the twenty-third.
Source:
Wilson, James Grant, and John Fiske, eds. Appleton’s Cyclopædia of American Biography. New York: D. Appleton & Co., 1887. Patriot Echoes Archive
Founders:
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