Thomas Mifflin | |
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| 1stGovernor of Pennsylvania | |
| In office December 21, 1790 – December 17, 1799 | |
| Preceded by | Himself asPresident of Pennsylvania |
| Succeeded by | Thomas McKean |
| 7thPresident of Pennsylvania | |
| In office November 5, 1788 – December 21, 1790 | |
| Vice President | George Ross |
| Preceded by | Benjamin Franklin |
| Succeeded by | Himself asGovernor of Pennsylvania |
| Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives | |
| In office 1785–1787 | |
| Preceded by | John Bayard |
| Succeeded by | Richard Peters |
| 5thPresident of the Confederation Congress | |
| In office November 3, 1783 – June 3, 1784 | |
| Preceded by | Elias Boudinot |
| Succeeded by | Richard Henry Lee |
| Continental Congressman | |
| In office 1782–1784 | |
| In office 1774–1775 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1744-01-10)January 10, 1744 |
| Died | January 20, 1800(1800-01-20) (aged 56) Lancaster, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Political party | Federalist(before 1790) Democratic-Republican(after 1790) |
| Spouse | |
| Education | University of Pennsylvania (B.A.) |
| Profession | Merchant, soldier, politician |
| Signature |  |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Branch/service | Continental Army |
| Rank | Major General |
| Battles/wars | American Revolutionary War |
Thomas Mifflin (January 10, 1744 – January 20, 1800) was an American merchant, soldier, and politician fromPennsylvania, who is regarded as aFounding Father of the United States for his roles during and after theAmerican Revolution. Mifflin signed theUnited States Constitution, was the firstgovernor of Pennsylvania, serving from 1790 to 1799,[1] and was also the state's last president, succeedingBenjamin Franklin in 1788.
Born in Philadelphia, Mifflin became a merchant following his graduation from theCollege of Philadelphia. After serving in the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly and theFirst Continental Congress, where he signed theContinental Association, he joined theContinental Army in 1775. During theRevolutionary War, Mifflin was an aide to GeneralGeorge Washington and was appointed the army'sQuartermaster General, rising to the rank of major general. He returned to Congress in 1782 and was electedpresident of the Congress the following year. He served as speaker of thePennsylvania House of Representatives from 1785 to 1787 and as president ofPennsylvania's Supreme Executive Council from 1788 to 1790.
Mifflin was a delegate to theConstitutional Convention in 1787 and signed theUnited States Constitution. He then presided over the committee that wrote Pennsylvania's state constitution, becoming the state's first governor after the constitution's ratification in 1790. Mifflin left office as governor in 1799 and died the following year.
Mifflin was born January 10, 1744, in Philadelphia, in theProvince of Pennsylvania. He was the son of John Mifflin and Elizabeth Bagnall. His great-grandfather John Mifflin Jr. (1662–1714) was born inWarminster, Wiltshire, England and settled in the Province of Pennsylvania.[3]
In 1760, Mifflin graduated from theCollege of Philadelphia (now theUniversity of Pennsylvania) and joined the mercantile business of William Biddle. After returning from a trip to Europe in 1765, he established a commercial business partnership with his brother, George Mifflin.
He married a second cousin, Sarah Morris, on March 4, 1767.[4] Their daughterEmily Mifflin marriedJoseph Hopkinson, the son ofFrancis Hopkinson. After Sarah's death in 1790, Emily became her father's hostess[5] and a family source references a total of four daughters in the family, "all beautiful women."[6] A source indicates that Sarah "had no children of her own."[4]
Early in the Revolutionary War, Mifflin left the Continental Congress to serve in the Continental Army. He was commissioned as a major, then became anaide-de-camp of George Washington.
On August 14, 1775, Washington appointed him to become the army's first quartermaster general, under order of Congress.[8] Although it has been said that he was good at the job despite preferring to be on the front lines, questions were raised regarding his failure to properly supply Washington and the troops atValley Forge, alleging that he had instead warehoused and sold supplies intended for Valley Forge to the highest bidder. Reportedly, after Washington confronted him about this,[9] Mifflin asked to be relieved as quartermaster general but was persuaded to resume those duties because Congress was having difficulty finding a replacement.
Mifflin's leadership in theBattle of Trenton and theBattle of Princeton led to a promotion tomajor general.[10] In Congress, there was debate regarding whether a national army was more efficient or whether the individual states should maintain their own forces. As a result of this debate theCongressional Board of War was created, on which Mifflin served from 1777 to 1778. He then rejoined the army but took little active role, following criticism of his service as quartermaster general. He was accused of embezzlement and welcomed an inquiry; however, one never took place. He resigned his commission, but Congress continued to ask his advice even after accepting his resignation.
Prior to American independence, Mifflin was a member of thePennsylvania Provincial Assembly (1772–1776). He served two terms in the Continental Congress (1774–1775 and 1782–1784), including seven months (November 1783 to June 1784) as that body's presiding officer.
Mifflin's most important duty as president was to accept on behalf of Congress theresignation of General George Washington on December 23, 1783. After the war, the importance of Congress declined so precipitously that Mifflin found it difficult to convince the states to send enough delegates to Congress to ratify theTreaty of Paris, which finally took place on January 14, 1784, at theMaryland State House in Annapolis.[12][13] He also appointedThomas Jefferson as a minister to France on May 7, 1784, and he appointed his former aide, ColonelJosiah Harmar, to be the commander of theFirst American Regiment.
Mifflin later served as a delegate to the United States Constitutional Convention in 1787. He was a signatory to the Continental Association and the Constitution.[14] He served in the house of Pennsylvania General Assembly (1785–1788). He was a member of the Supreme Executive Council of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and on November 5, 1788, he was elected president of the Council, replacingBenjamin Franklin. He was unanimously reelected to the presidency on November 11, 1789.[15] He presided over the committee that wrotePennsylvania's 1790 state constitution. That document did away with the Executive Council, replacing it with a single governor.
On December 21, 1790, Mifflin became the last president of Pennsylvania and the first governor of the Commonwealth. He held the latter office until December 17, 1799,[14] when he was succeeded byThomas McKean. TheWhiskey Rebellion and the1793 Philadelphia yellow fever epidemic happened during his term in office.Fries Rebellion also started during his term. He then returned to the state legislature, where he served until his death the following month.
Although Mifflin's family had beenQuakers for four generations, he was expelled from the Religious Society of Friends when he joined the Continental Army, because his involvement with the military contradicted that faith'spacifistic doctrines.[16] Mifflin became a member of theAmerican Philosophical Society in 1768 and served for two years as its secretary.[10] He served from 1773 to 1791 as a trustee of theCollege and Academy of Philadelphia (now theUniversity of Pennsylvania), including two years as treasurer (1773–1775).[17]
Mifflin died inLancaster, Pennsylvania, on January 23, 1800.[10] He is interred atHoly Trinity Lutheran Church in Lancaster.[18]
A Commonwealth of Pennsylvania historical marker outside Holy Trinity, dedicated in 1975, commemoratesThomas Wharton and Mifflin, the first and last Presidents of Pennsylvania under thePennsylvania Constitution of 1776. It reads:
Holy Trinity Lutheran Church. Founded in 1730. A session for an Indian treaty was held in the original church building in 1762. The present edifice was dedicated in 1766. Here are interred the remains of Thomas Wharton (1778) and Gov. Thomas Mifflin (1800).[19]
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| Party political offices | ||
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| First | Democratic-Republican nominee forGovernor of Pennsylvania 1790,1793,1796 | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | President of the United States in Congress Assembled November 3, 1783 – October 31, 1784 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | President of Pennsylvania November 5, 1788 – December 21, 1790 | Office abolished Became Governor of Pennsylvania |
| New office Previously President of Pennsylvania | Governor of Pennsylvania December 21, 1790 – 1799 | Succeeded by |
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| Preceded by | Member,Supreme Executive Council of Pennsylvania, representingthe County of Philadelphia October 20, 1788 – December 21, 1790 | Office abolished |
Speakers of the unicameralPennsylvania General Assembly (1776–1790) | ||
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