- 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.
James McHenry
McHENRY, James, statesman and signer of the U.S. Constitution, born in Ballymena, Ireland, 16 November, 1753; died in Baltimore, Md., 3 May, 1816.
He emigrated to America in 1771 and studied medicine under Dr. Benjamin Rush. During the Revolutionary War, McHenry served as a surgeon and later as secretary to General George Washington and aide-de-camp to the Marquis de Lafayette.
He represented Maryland in the Continental Congress and was a delegate to the Constitutional Convention in 1787. McHenry later served as Secretary of War under Presidents George Washington and John Adams, overseeing military affairs during a critical period of national formation.
Fort McHenry, famous for its defense during the War of 1812 and inspiration for “The Star-Spangled Banner,” was named in his honor.
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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