- 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.
Caesar Rodney
RODNEY, Caesar, signer of the Declaration of Independence, born in Dover, Del., 7 October, 1728; died there, 26 June, 1784.
He was educated privately and became active in Delaware politics. Rodney served in the colonial assembly, was a delegate to the Continental Congress, and signed the Declaration of Independence.
Famously, he rode overnight through a thunderstorm to Philadelphia to cast Delaware’s decisive vote for independence on 2 July 1776. He later served as President of Delaware during the Revolutionary War and helped organize the state’s defense.
Rodney suffered from cancer of the face, which he concealed with a green silk scarf. Despite illness, he remained committed to public service and is remembered for his courage and patriotism.
Source:
Wilson, James Grant, and John Fiske, eds. Appleton’s Cyclopædia of American Biography. New York: D. Appleton & Co., 1887. Patriot Echoes Archive
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