Author: Gouverneur Morris

The American statesman and signatory to both the Articles of Confederation and the United States Constitution, Gouverneur Morris (1752–1816) was born in Westchester County, New York. In 1775, he was elected to represent his home district in the New York Provincial Congress, where he immediately started advocating for American independence; in 1778, he represented the state as a delegate to the Continental Congress. In 1787, he represented Pennsylvania as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention, where he was elected to serve on the committee in charge of drafting the final language for the Constitution. Following the Convention, he served the United States as Minister Plenipotentiary to France from 1792–94. In 1800, he was elected to the United State Senate.