Declaration House | Representing Pennsylvania at the Continental Congress. The original purchasers from Massachusetts, unable to fulfil their contract, surrendered to the State a large tract, to which the Indian titles had been extinguished. After the conclusion of peace, Mr. Morris served twice in the Legislature of Pennsylvania ; and he was a delegate to the Convention that framed the Constitution of the United States. The Revolutionary Diplomatic Correspondence of the United States. Robert Morris's ethics are summed up by this message to his partner, Silas Deane; "It seems to me the opportunities of improving our Fortunes ought not to be lost, especially as the very means of doing it will contribute to the service of our country at the same time." Congress, at that time, could not have obtained a loan of one thousand dollars, yet Robert Morris effected loans upon his own credit, of tens of thousands. His labors in Congress were incessant, and he always looked with perfect confidence to the period when peace and independence should crown the efforts of the patriots. HONOURED SIR: I wrote to you at sea 4th ultimo, by the brigantine Sea-Nymph, my second prize. These agreements, of course, seriously affected merchants here, and therein their patriotism was made peculiarly manifest. 5 It is said that Mr. Morris, and a number of others, members of the St. George's Society, were at dinner, celebrating the anniversary of St. George's day, when the news of the battle of Lexington reached them. One of the most successful such devices were the lotteries. He was also a delegate to the Constitutional Convention in 1787, and thereafter an advocate for the new constitution. Mr. Morris was unable to meet his engagement, and the company foreclosed, and acquired full title to the land. In a letter to Gen. Horatio Gates in 1776, Morris revealed that he was willing to set aside his personal thoughts on revolt because of how earnestly his fellow colonists desired it. In 1754, Mr. Morris formed a mercantile business partnership with Mr. Thomas Willing. 6 vols. Although he sided with the British during the Stamp Act, he was well-respected by many. We encourage you to research and examine these records to determine their accuracy. him every advantage his business afforded ; and at the death of his The British frigate Flora and her convoy of transports with Highland troops. Declaration of Independence Signer, Continental Congressman, US Senator, United States Constitution Signer. Robert Morris Dickey (1776 - Unknown) How do we create a person’s profile? Author of numerous books, Robert Morris Ministries shares God's Word throughout the world to help others become followers of Jesus Christ and develop and intimate relationship with God. Jefferson's Account | Early in 1776, he was given a special commission by congress, with authority to negotiate bills of exchange for, and to solicit money by other means for the operation of the war. https://www.revolutionary-war-and-beyond.com/robert_morris.html The ... Papers of Robert Morris, Accession 1805, LC. Young Robert, who seemed ill suited to formal education and too quick for his teacher in any case, was soon apprenticed to the counting room of Charles Willing at the age of 16. In the spring of 1776 Congress chose him a special commissioner to negotiate bills of exchange, and to take other measures to procure money for the Government. The Bank of North America was put in successful operation, and there is no doubt that these patriotic services of Robert Morris present the chief reason why the Continental array was not at that time disbanded by its own act. Click below for information. The men Ironically, after helping so many, Salomon himself died impoverished in 1785 – possibly as a result of his purchases of government debt. Robert Morris, (1734-1806), American merchant, known as the "financier of the American Revolution." Robert Morris was a man of wealth and integrity in Philadelphia during the revolutionary period. Gentn. It was a position of great trust, for they frequently had funds placed in their hands to be disposed of according to their discretion — like the *' secret service money" of the present day, placed in the hands of the Presi dent, with discretionary powers, it being inimical to the general good to take paS» He action upon such disbursements. Native of England, he immigrated to America in 1747. He died in 1806, in relative poverty, at the age of 73. He was elected to the Pennsylvania Council of Safety, the Committee of Correspondence, the Provincial Assembly, the Pennsylvania Legislature, the Second Continental Congress, Pennsylvania Senator, and many others. Document. More Details Cite This Item Image ID 424694. —Robert Morris, 1776 The group of soldiers huddled around a small fire in front of their tent as darkness fell on the encampment of the Continental Army at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. In one of his first major political acts, Morris joined with several other merchants in pressuring British agent John Hughesto refrain from collecting the new tax. MORRIS, Robert, (father of Thomas Morris [1771–1849]), a Delegate and a Senator from Pennsylvania; born in Liverpool, England, January 20, 1734; immigrated to the United States in 1747 and settled in Oxford, Md. Morris represented Pennsylvania in the Continental Congress (1775-78) where he voted against independence when it was first discussed on 1 July 1776. When they retired, a salute was fired, and a wad from one of the guns hit Mr. Morris upon the arm. You can now sponsor your favorite page on Revolutionary War and Beyond. Robert Morris, Jr. (January 20, 1734 – May 8, 1806) was a British-born American merchant, and signer of the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the United States Constitution. ... (1776), charged with protecting that great seaport in the opening phase of the Revolution. 4. After the passage of the Stamp Act and the Tea Act, and non-importation agreements became general in the commercial cities of the colonies,4 Willing and Morris, notwithstanding the great loss of business it would occasion, not only cheerfully entered into the plan, but did all in their power to induce others to do likewise. Decr. Continental Congressmen Robert Morris and Gouverneur Morris (no relation) by Charles Willson Peale Mr. Morris was again elected to Congress on the eighteenth of July, 1776, fourteen days after the Declaration of Independence was adopted; and being in favor … He was then sent as a Senator for Pennsylvania when that constitution was ratified. master and friend, he was a finished merchant.3. Elected to the Continental Congress in 1775, he participated on many of the committees involved in raising capital and provisions for the Continental Army. Two years later his employer died and Morris entered a partnership with the gentleman's son. Division. Mr. Morris served a regular term in the United States Senate, and then retired forever from public life. After 1786, the Republicans assumed control of Pennsylvania government, and changed their name to Federalists. Mr. Morris was again elected to Congress on the eighteenth of July, 1776, fourteen days after the Declaration of Independence was adopted; and being in favor of the measure, he affixed his signature thereto on the second of August following. He never recovered the wealth that he enjoyed before the revolution. Robert died of asthma on May 8, 1806 and was buried in the family vault of William White and Robert Morris behind Christ Church in Philadelphia. old, and about the same time he became an orphan by the sudden death of The partnership would last until 1776, 4 years after the first shots were fired at Lexington and Concord. Robert Morris was an American businessman and banker. Throughout the war he personally underwrote the operations of privateers, ships that ran the British Blockades at great risk and thus brought needed supplies and capital into the colonies. It was a service which no other man in the country seemed competent to perform, and that Congress well knew. He was placed in a school at Philadelphia, but the deficiencies of his teacher allowed him but slight advantage in the obtainment of knowledge.1, Young Morris was placed in the counting room of Mr. Charles Willing, one Letter from Captain John Paul Jones to Robert Morris v2:1105. Washington received a letter from Count de Grasse, announcing his determination not to sail for New York. John Bradford to Robert Morris, July 14, 1776 . Morris and his partner choose the side of the colonials and Robert engaged in the movements against British rule. By his liberal expenditures and free proffers of his private obligations for the public benefit, he found his ample fortune very much diminished at the close of hostilities ; and by embarking the remainder in the purchase of wild lands, in the State of New York,9 under the impression that emigrants from the old world would flow in a vast and ceaseless current to this "land of the free," he became greatly embarrassed in his pecuniary affairs, and it preyed seriously upon his mind. Dear Sir. Or maybe your favorite Founding Fathers Quote on a travel mug. 1783; Delegate to the Constitutional Convention, 1787; United States Senator, 1789-95; Appointed Secretary of the Treasury, 1789. 9 In consequence of some old claims of Massachusetts to a large portion of the territory of the State of New York, the latter State, in 1786, in order to settle the matter, ceded to the former more than six millions of acres, reserving, however, the right of sovereignty. Rev. This tract Mr. Morris bought in 1796, and after selling considerable portions lying upon the Genesee River, he mortgaged the residue to Wilhelm Willink, of Amsterdam, and eleven associates, who styled themselves the "Holland Land Company." Transcription. Although it took him a while to come into the realm of politics when he did he served in many vocations. Morris was, next to General George Washington, "the most powerful man in America." https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/founding-fathers-pennsylvania The Document | Robert Morris lived quietly with his wife for another five years. 4 One of the measures adopted by the Colonists to force Great Britain to do them justice, was that of American merchants everywhere agreeing not to import anything from the mother-country. He finally sent for his family, and Robert was thirteen years old when he arrived. Transcription. During the decade after the imposition of the Stamp Act, Mor… See Silas Deane to Robert Morris, 17, 30 Sept. 1776, in Wharton, Diplomatic Correspondencedescription begins Francis Wharton, ed. Morris, along with John Dickinson, did no… Robert Morris and Haym Salomon – the two principal financers of the American Revolution. https://gw.geneanet.org/tdowling?lang=en&n=morris&oc=3&p=robert In late 1776, with the Continental Army in a state of severe deprivation because of a shortage of capital and the failure of several of the colonies in paying for the war, Morris loaned $10,000 of his own money to the government. To George Washington from Robert Morris, 23–24 December 1776 Author Morris, Robert Recipient Washington, George Date 23–24 December 1776 Reference Cite as “To George Washington from Robert Morris, 23–24 December 1776,” Founders Online, National Archives, https And it has been justly remarked, that: "If it were not demonstrable by official records, posterity would hardly be made to believe that the campaign of 1781, which resulted in the capture of Cornwallis, and virtually closed the Revolutionary War, was sustained wholly on the credit of an individual merchant."8. Robert Morris was 6 feet tall, well built, with sandy colored hair and piercing blue eyes. A contemporary described him as "bold and enterprising of great mercantile knowledge, fertile in expedients and an able financier. More Resources |, by Ole Erekson, Engraver, c1876, Library of Congress. In 1765, the Parliament of Great Britain imposed the Stamp Act, a tax on transactions involving paper that proved widely unpopular in British North America. Robert Morris was born on January 31, 1734 in Liverpool, England. Signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776. Robert Morris, (born Jan. 31, 1734, Liverpool, Merseyside, Eng.—died May 8, 1806, Philadelphia, Pa., U.S.), American merchant and banker who came to be known as the financier of the American Revolution (1775–83).. Morris left England to join his father in Maryland in 1747 and then entered a mercantile house in Philadelphia. Astonishment and indignation filled the company, and they soon dispersed. He was taught by a private tutor there, before he was sent to Philadelphia to finish his schooling. Massachusetts sold the larger portion of this tract to Oliver Phelps and Nathaniel Gorham, for one million of dollars : and in 1790, they in turn sold to Mr. Morris 1,204,000 acres, for sixteen cents per acre. Young Robert transferred to Philadelphia where he studied under the tutelage of Charles Greenway, a member of the Library Company of Philadelphia, founded by Benjamin Franklin. But it was not until the tragedy at Lexington aroused the fiercest indignation of the colonists, and extinguished all hope of reconciliation, that Mr. Morris took an active part in public affairs. MORRIS, Robert, (father of Thomas Morris [1771–1849]), a Delegate and a Senator from Pennsylvania; born in Liverpool, England, January 20, 1734; immigrated to the United States in 1747 and settled in Oxford, Md. YES! 10 In 1769, Mr. Morris married Miss Mary White, sister of the late venerable Bishop White, of Pennsylvania. 5 That event called him forth, and in November of the same year, a he was elected by the Legislature of Pennsylvania, a delegate to the General Congress. 8 At the time Washington was preparing, in his camp upon the Hudson, in Westchester county, to attack Sir Henry Clinton in New York, in 1781, Mr. Morris and Judge Peters of Pennsylvania were then at headquarters. The powder ship Hope. Mr. Morris promised him the amount, and he raised it upon his own responsibility. Born in England in 1734, he came to the Chesapeake Bay in 1744 and attended school in Philadelphia. His father was a Liverpool merchant, extensively engaged in the American trade, and when Robert was but a small child, he left him in the care of his grandmother, came to this country, and settled at Oxford on the eastern shore of Chesapeake Bay. Copy. In 1781, the darkest period of the war, Mr. Morris, in connection with other citizens, organized a banking institution in Philadelphia, for the purpose of issuing paper money that should receive the public confidence, for the government bills were becoming almost worthless. 2 A ship having arrived from Liverpool, consigned to Mr. Morris the elder, he invited several friends to an entertainment on board. asked he. Genre. Robert Morris was a native of Lancashire, England, where he was born Originally the merchantman brig Molly, she was purchased from Robert Morris by the Marine Committee of the Continental Congress on March 28, 1776, renamed Reprisal, and placed under the command of Captain Lambert Wickes. Homepage | Newsletter | Causes | Declaration | Bill of Rights |  Founders, Facts | Flags | Quotes | Games | Attractions | Documents | Blog | Store | Advertise, Revolutionary War and Beyond © 2008-2019, Continental Congressmen Robert Morris and Gouverneur Morris (no relation) by Charles Willson Peale. The wound was severe, mortified, and in a few days terminated his life. Morris was a risk-taker and had many ships going to various countries that paid off. In 1776, $80,000 was no small sum. though not a scholar or a soldier, he was to play an essential role in the success of the War against England, and in placing the new United States on a firm footing in the … He afterward resold this tract to Sir William Pultney. 3 As an evidence of the general good conduct of Mr. Morris, it is related, that Mr. Facing colonial resistance, Parliament repealed the tax, but it later implemented other policies designed to generate tax revenue from the colonies. Philada. One of the wealthiest individuals in the Colonies and an economic wizard, he won the accolade "Financier of the Revolution," yet died penniless and forgotten. "What security can'st thou give ?" Get your Favorite Flag on a coffee mug. Signers | Washington asked him to name a candidate, and he at once mentioned General Alexander Hamilton. Robert Morris, primary financier of the Revolutionary War, painted by Robert Edge Pine Public domain image. "My note and my honor," promptly replied Mr. Morris. The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Print Collection. Title: Robert Morris on the state of the war, Philadelphia, 1776 Creator: Morris, Robert Creation Date: 1776-12-24 Subject Date: 1776-12-24 Town: Boston, Philadelphia County: Philadelphia, Suffolk State: MA, PA Media: Ink on paper Dimensions: 39.2 cm x 24.1 cm Local Code: Coll. Date Created. Robert Morris. of the leading merchants of Philadelphia, when he was fifteen years Text taken from "Biographical Sketches of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence" by BJ Lossing, 1848, © 2008 - 2020 Revolutionary-War-and-Beyond.com  Dan & Jax Bubis. It was approved and became The Bank of North America, an institution that brought stability to the colonial economy, facilitated continued finance of the War effort, and would ultimately establish the credit of the United States with the nations of Europe. This will be presented by Isaiah Robinson, Esqr. Delegate to the Continental Congress, 1775, Appointed Special Commissioner of Finance, 1776; Author of the plan for a National Bank, 1781; Financial Agent of the United States, 1781; Delegate to the Pennsylvania Legislature, ca. Robert Morris was a man of wealth and integrity in Philadelphia during the revolutionary period. Washington, D.C., 1889.description ends, 2:148, 150. In 1747, Morris moved to America to live with his father, who worked at a tobacco factory in Maryland. 1776 - 1890. Document. He was the primary sponsor of the American Revolution and an original signatory to the Declaration of Independence document. In 1781 he devised a plan for a National Bank and submitted it to Congress. Served as a Delegate from Pennsylvania in the Continental Congress from 1775 to 1778. This misfortune, and the inroads which asthma had made upon his constitution, proved a canker at the root of his bodily vigor, and he sunk to rest in the grave, on the eighth day of May, 1806, in the seventy-third year of his age, leaving a widow with whom he had lived in uninterrupted domestic happiness for thirty-seven years .10, 1 On being chid by his father for his tardiness in learning, he remarked: "Why, sir, I have learned all that he could teach me.". Morris was immediately appointed Financial Agent (Secretary of Treasury) of the United States, in order to direct the operation of the new bank. In the succeeding thirty nine years that business flourished, and Robert Morris' wealth and reputation were secured. https://gw.geneanet.org/tdowling?lang=en&n=morris&oc=3&p=robert This money provisioned the desperate troops, who went on to win the Battle of Trenton (Washington Crossing). Permalink. It was a requirement that seemed almost impossible to meet. The firm soon became the most extensive importing-house in Philadelphia, and rapidly increased in wealth and standing. Genealogy profile for Robert Morris Robert Morris (1796 - 1870) - Genealogy Genealogy for Robert Morris (1796 - 1870) family tree on Geni, with over … Declaration Timeline | Morris, almost single handed, saw to the financing of the Revolutionary War, and the establishment of the Bank of the United States after. Type of Resource. Title: Robert Morris on the state of the war, Philadelphia, 1776 Creator: Morris, Robert Creation Date: 1776-12-24 Subject Date: 1776-12-24 Town: Boston, Philadelphia County: Philadelphia, Suffolk State: MA, PA Media: Ink on paper Dimensions: 39.2 cm x 24.1 cm Local Code: Coll. This scheme had the desired effect, and the aid it rendered to the cause was incalculable. In 1754 he formed a partnership with Thomas Willing, a Philadelphia merchant, and by the early 1780's had been recognized as one of the most successful merchants in the nation. Gateway Church lead pastor, Robert Morris, invites you to be part of his ministries. After the Stamp Act, Robert Morris became active in public life. 3. though not a scholar or a soldier, he was to play an essential role in the success of the War against England, and in placing the new United States on a firm footing in the world. The Quaker replied: "Robert, thou shalt have it" —It was sent to Washington, the Delaware was crossed, and victory won! Robert Morris, (born Jan. 31, 1734, Liverpool, Merseyside, Eng.—died May 8, 1806, Philadelphia, Pa., U.S.), American merchant and banker who came to be known as the financier of the American Revolution (1775–83).. Morris left England to join his father in Maryland in 1747 and then entered a mercantile house in Philadelphia. It was a cold December night in 1777, and the American army had been fighting the British for two years. Following the war, he served in the Pennsylvania Legislature. Morris completed his office as Senator and then retired from public service. His business talents were at once appreciated in that body, and he was placed upon the "secret committee,"6 and also a committee to devise ways and means for providing a naval armament. Factory in Maryland implemented other policies designed to generate tax revenue from the.... His lodgings in utter despondency Thomas Morris served a regular term in the Legislature... 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We encourage you to be part of his ministries a partnership with Mr. Thomas Willing him the,! How do we create a person ’ s profile and that Congress well knew 14,.. To Philadelphia to finish his schooling to him: `` Robert, always continue to Act as you done! As was Willing which made the partnership form quickly sandy colored hair and piercing eyes! It to Congress retired from public service was the master financier of the government 1769, Mr. Morris the,! Aid it rendered to the Chesapeake Bay in 1744 and attended school in Philadelphia during the Stamp,. Signatory to the Chesapeake Bay in 1744 and attended school in Philadelphia, therein... Severe, mortified, and the aid it rendered to the Chesapeake Bay in 1744 and school. Next to General George Washington appointed Morris Secretary of the American Revolution and the American Revolution ''. Of Trenton ( Washington Crossing ) ( 1775-78 ) where he voted against Independence when it a... 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