Money and Compromise (Not at the Same Time) The man was everywhere, and clearly either had a ridiculous amount of energy or a Time Turner. Constitution.Īll this time, he still served as a judge in Connecticut, and even re-wrote all of Connecticut's laws (with the perfectly-named Richard Law) in 1783. He was also elected to the committee writing the Articles of Confederation after the war ended, as well as a number of other committees, and later was a Connecticut representative to the Constitutional Convention drafting the final U.S. ( Source)Īfter years in local legislatures and the Continental Congresses, Sherman was chosen to be on the Committee of Five writing the Declaration of Independence, along with Jefferson, Franklin, and Robert Livingston. In particular, he supported stopping importation of goods, and subsequent boycotts on merchants who continued to import. And like many of the Founding Fathers, that interference is what inspired him to join the independence fight.
He didn't like extreme measures, but he really, really resented Parliament's attempts to interfere with commerce. Especially once he became a congressman, he was a very active, vocal member who was influential in the formation of pretty much every significant foundational document in the two decades surrounding independence, with the exception of the Northwest Ordinance. Sherman wasn't just a frequent government employee.
Not-So-Jolly Roger and the Fight for Independence You can't accuse Roger of being lazy, that's for sure. Finally he was elected to the Continental Congress in 1774, and served in the subsequent congresses as a representative, then U.S. ( Source)įrom there Sherman served as what seems like every government office available to him in the late 18th century, including, but not limited to: member of the General Assembly, judge on Connecticut Supreme Court, mayor of New Haven, and commissary to the Connecticut militia during the French and Indian War. There he opened a two-store chain of general merchandise stores, one catering to the students of Yale College, where he served as treasurer for several years. Sherman became a lawyer in 1754, serving on the colonial legislature until he gave up his practice to move to New Haven in 1760. He moved from Massachusetts to Connecticut in 1743, and spent the remainder of his life serving in a variety of roles for that state. Like Benjamin Franklin, he was the son of a tradesman (cobbler) and his primary school education was supplemented by his own self-study. This is particularly impressive given that he never even went to college, and was apparently a terrible public speaker. A Roger-of-All-TradesĪ devout Calvinist and serious economist, Sherman had a long list of jobs covering many areas of law and government over the course of his life. Congress that is still in use today: equal representation of each state in one house (Senate), and representation based on population the other (House of Representatives). Sherman was also the architect of the Connecticut Compromise (or Great Compromise), which determined the format of the bicameral (two house) U.S. Constitution, among other accomplishments. He played a role in all of the foundational documents of the United States, helping draft and ratify the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the U.S. He still has an impact on all of our lives-though most people probably don't realize it-so here's a chance for you to be ahead of the game. Roger Sherman is one of the more forgotten of the Founding Fathers (poor Rog), although he was a well-known and well-respected politician in his day. It must have been confusing to have multiple Olivers, Rebeccas, and Elizabeths, but they probably had a good system for keeping track (Oliver I and Oliver II?). With Rebecca, he had Rebecca, Elizabeth, Roger, two Mehetabels (one died as a baby), Oliver, Martha and Sarah. (Whoa.) With Elizabeth, he had John, William, Isaac, Chloe, Oliver, then a second Chloe (the first one died) and Elizabeth. Spouse : Elizabeth Hartwell, Rebecca PrescottĬhildren : Sherman had seven children with Elizabeth and eight with Rebecca. Siblings : William Jr., Mehetabel, Elizabeth, Nathaniel, Josiah and Rebecca He supplemented his education with self-study, passing the Connecticut bar in 1754. Senator for ConnecticutĮducation : Sherman only attended basic grammar school, and never went to college. Occupation : County Surveyor, Author, Lawyer, Judge, Commissary for Connecticut troops, Congressman, U.S. Hometown: Newton, Massachusetts WORK & EDUCATION Roger Sherman in Declaration of Independence