Declaration of Independence Signer. Born in Windsor, Connecticut, he was the son of the Royal Governor of the Connecticut colony. After graduating from Yale College at the age of 20, he served as a soldier in the Connecticut Militia during the French and Indian War. In 1751, he moved to Litchfield, Connecticut, where he would work as a merchant and later, as a county sheriff. In his late 20s, he married Laura Collins, with whom he would have five children. Wolcott was elected to the Connecticut legislature in 1764, and in 1775, to the Second Continental Congress. He served in the Continental Congress from 1775 to 1778, and again in 1780 to 1781. In June 1776, he took ill and left Congress, to return home. While returning to Connecticut, he passed through New York City, where General George Washington ordered the newly approved Declaration of Independence to be read to the troops, on July 9. That night, New York patriots pulled down the statue of King George III, sending the head of the statue back to England in a display of rebellion. Wolcott placed the remaining pieces of the statue into a wagon and shipped it to his home in Litchfield, where it was melted down and made into bullets for the Revolutionary Army. According to one account, 42,000 bullets were made from this statue, to be fired at British troops. Recovering from his illness, Wolcott returned to Congress in October 1776, where he signed the Declaration of Independence. Because of his earlier experience as a soldier, Congress promoted him to Brigadier General and placed him in command of Connecticut troops. In 1776, he commanded 14 Revolutionary War Regiments that helped to defend New York City from British attack, and in the fall of 1777, he helped to defeat the British at the Battle of Saratoga, New York. He was a member of the Congress of the Confederation from 1781 to 1784. He was Governor of Connecticut from 1796 until his death in 1797, at the age of 71. His son, Oliver Wolcott, Jr., was the nation’s Secretary of the Treasury, from 1795 to 1800.

Declaration of Independence Signer. Born in Windsor, Connecticut, he was the son of the Royal Governor of the Connecticut colony. After graduating from Yale College at the age of 20, he served as a soldier in the Connecticut Militia during the French and Indian War. In 1751, he moved to Litchfield, Connecticut, where he would work as a merchant and later, as a county sheriff. In his late 20s, he married Laura Collins, with whom he would have five children. Wolcott was elected to the Connecticut legislature in 1764, and in 1775, to the Second Continental Congress. He served in the Continental Congress from 1775 to 1778, and again in 1780 to 1781. In June 1776, he took ill and left Congress, to return home. While returning to Connecticut, he passed through New York City, where General George Washington ordered the newly approved Declaration of Independence to be read to the troops, on July 9. That night, New York patriots pulled down the statue of King George III, sending the head of the statue back to England in a display of rebellion. Wolcott placed the remaining pieces of the statue into a wagon and shipped it to his home in Litchfield, where it was melted down and made into bullets for the Revolutionary Army. According to one account, 42,000 bullets were made from this statue, to be fired at British troops. Recovering from his illness, Wolcott returned to Congress in October 1776, where he signed the Declaration of Independence. Because of his earlier experience as a soldier, Congress promoted him to Brigadier General and placed him in command of Connecticut troops. In 1776, he commanded 14 Revolutionary War Regiments that helped to defend New York City from British attack, and in the fall of 1777, he helped to defeat the British at the Battle of Saratoga, New York. He was a member of the Congress of the Confederation from 1781 to 1784. He was Governor of Connecticut from 1796 until his death in 1797, at the age of 71. His son, Oliver Wolcott, Jr., was the nation’s Secretary of the Treasury, from 1795 to 1800.