Nathaniel Gorham | |
|---|---|
 Nathaniel Gorham byCharles Willson Peale, circa 1793 | |
| 8thPresident of the Confederation Congress | |
| In office June 6, 1786 – February 2, 1787[1] | |
| Preceded by | John Hancock |
| Succeeded by | Arthur St. Clair |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1738-05-27)May 27, 1738 Charlestown,Province of Massachusetts Bay, British America |
| Died | June 11, 1796(1796-06-11) (aged 58) |
| Resting place | Phipps Street Burying Ground Charlestown |
| Party | Federalist |
| Spouse | Rebecca Call |
| Children |
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| Profession | Politician, merchant |
| Signature |  |
Nathaniel Gorham (May 27, 1738 – June 11, 1796; sometimes spelledNathanial) was an AmericanFounding Father, merchant, and politician fromMassachusetts. He was a delegate from the Bay Colony to theContinental Congress and for six months served as thepresiding officer of that body under theArticles of Confederation. He also attended theConstitutional Convention, served on itsCommittee of Detail, and signed theUnited States Constitution.
Starting at age 15, Gorham served an apprenticeship with a merchant inNew London, Connecticut, after which he opened a merchant house inCharlestown, Massachusetts, in 1759.[2] He took part in public affairs at the beginning of theAmerican Revolution: he was a member of theMassachusetts General Court (legislature) from 1771 until 1775, a delegate to the Provincial congress from 1774 until 1775, and a member of theBoard of War from 1778 until its dissolution in 1781. In 1779, he served in the state constitutional convention. He was a delegate to theCongress of the Confederation from 1782 until 1783, and also from 1785 until 1787, serving as its president for five months from June 6 to November 5, 1786, after the resignation ofJohn Hancock. Gorham also served a term as judge of theMiddlesex County Court of Common Pleas,[3] was a candidate for the3rd congressional district in both1788 and1790, in the former election winning on the first ballot but losing on the second,[4][5][6] and was the runner-up in the1790 election for the U.S. Senate.[7]
Gorham married Rebecca Call (May 14, 1744 – November 18, 1812), who was descended fromAnglicanvicar and the first minister ofDorchester, Massachusetts,John Maverick, and his royally descended wife, Mary Gye Maverick. Rebecca was the daughter of Caleb Call and Rebecca Stimson.[8] They were the parents of nine children.[9]
In 1786, it might have been Gorhamwho suggested toAlexander Hamilton thatPrince Henry of Prussia would becomepresident[10] or king of the United States. However, the offer was revoked before the prince could make a reply.[11]
For several months in 1787, Gorham served as one of the Massachusetts delegates to the United States Constitutional Convention.[3] Gorham frequently served as chairman of the Convention'sCommittee of the whole, meaning that he (rather than the president of the Convention,George Washington) presided over convention sessions during the delegates' first deliberations on the structure of the new government in late May and June 1787. After the convention, he worked hard to see that the Constitution was approved in his home state.
In connection withOliver Phelps, hepurchased from the state of Massachusetts in 1788 pre-emption rights to an immense tract of land in western New York State which straddled theGenesee River, all for the sum of $1,000,000 (about $18.5 million today).[12][13] The land in question had been previously ceded to Massachusetts from the state of New York under the 1786Treaty of Hartford. The pre-emption right gave them the first or preemptive right to obtain clear title to this land from theNative Americans. They soon extinguished the Native American title to the portion of the land east of the Genesee River, as well as a 185,000 acres (750 km2) tract west of the Genesee, the Mill Yard Tract, surveyed all of it, laid out townships, and sold large parts to speculators and settlers. His son Nathaniel Gorham Jr. was a pioneer settler of this tract, having been placed in charge of his father's interests there.[14] In 1790, after Gorham and Phelps defaulted in payment, they sold nearly all of their remaining lands east of the Genesee toRobert Morris, who eventually resold those lands toThe Pulteney Association. Phelps and Gorham were unable to fulfill their contract in full to Massachusetts, so in 1790, they surrendered back to Massachusetts that portion of the lands which remained under the Native American title, namely, the land west of the Genesee. It also was eventually acquired by Robert Morris, who resold most of it to theHolland Land Company.
Gorham died in Charlestown in 1796. He is buried in thePhipps Street Cemetery in Charlestown.[12][15] Gorham Street inMadison, Wisconsin, is named in his honor.[16] The town ofGorham, New York, is also named in his honor.[17]
Gorham's descendants number in the thousands today.[18] Some of his notable descendants include:
Member of the Continental Congress in 1782, 1783, 1786, 1787, and 1789, and was its president from June 6, 1786, to February 2, 1787
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| Preceded by | President of the Continental Congress June 6, 1786 – November 5, 1786 | Succeeded by |
