American patriot Francis Hopkinson (1737–91) was born in Philadelphia and educated at what is today the University of Pennsylvania, where he was a member of the university’s first graduating class. In service to the English Crown, Hopkinson negotiated a treaty between the state of Delaware and several Iroquois tribes and was then appointed customs collector for the region. In 1774, he moved to New Jersey and became a member of the Provincial Council, a post he resigned shortly thereafter to serve as a representative at the Second Continental Congress. A fierce advocate of American independence, Hopkinson was a signer of the Declaration of Independence and later ratified the US Constitution. Following the war, President George Washington appointed Hopkinson judge of the US District Court in Pennsylvania. A prolific and gifted author, Hopkinson is best remembered for his work, “A Pretty Story,” a satirical commentary on King George III.