United States Constitution Signer. A graduate of Yale University located in his hometown of New Haven Connecticut, who as a young lawyer saw his Loyalist father was once tarred and feathered by radical Patriots, he renounced his family's views to support America's fight for independence. After graduating from law school he went to England and France partly to get away from making a choice regarding the conflict he had between his belief in the Patriot cause and the love he had for his father. After five years across the ocean he returned to America where he built a flourishing law practice and became increasingly more vocal in the his support of the colonies' push for a revolution. He was chosen as a delegate to the Continental Congress from 1780 to 1781 and was selected to represent Pennsylvania at the Constitutional Convention in 1787. He spoke little at the convention but as a successful lawyer he had many opportunities to later help contribute to the successful implementation of the new document by arguing several cases before the United States Supreme Court that helped to "iron out" some of the finer points regarding constitutional law. The brilliant lawyer was Pennsylvania's first Attorney General serving from 1790 to 1799 and again from 1811 to 1817. The famous jurist made a rare entry into national politics when, in 1812, he was chosen by the Federalist Party and Anti-war Republicans to be their nominee for Vice-President. Dewitt Clinton was the party's presidential nominee in their unsuccessful bid to unseat James Madison . However, his influence was felt in the halls of Congress with his calls for national reform made to friends in Congress and in the legal arena. In 1821 he was appointed to the bench for the Philadelphia district court. He held that position until his death the following year.
United States Constitution Signer. A graduate of Yale University located in his hometown of New Haven Connecticut, who as a young lawyer saw his Loyalist father was once tarred and feathered by radical Patriots, he renounced his family's views to support America's fight for independence. After graduating from law school he went to England and France partly to get away from making a choice regarding the conflict he had between his belief in the Patriot cause and the love he had for his father. After five years across the ocean he returned to America where he built a flourishing law practice and became increasingly more vocal in the his support of the colonies' push for a revolution. He was chosen as a delegate to the Continental Congress from 1780 to 1781 and was selected to represent Pennsylvania at the Constitutional Convention in 1787. He spoke little at the convention but as a successful lawyer he had many opportunities to later help contribute to the successful implementation of the new document by arguing several cases before the United States Supreme Court that helped to "iron out" some of the finer points regarding constitutional law. The brilliant lawyer was Pennsylvania's first Attorney General serving from 1790 to 1799 and again from 1811 to 1817. The famous jurist made a rare entry into national politics when, in 1812, he was chosen by the Federalist Party and Anti-war Republicans to be their nominee for Vice-President. Dewitt Clinton was the party's presidential nominee in their unsuccessful bid to unseat James Madison . However, his influence was felt in the halls of Congress with his calls for national reform made to friends in Congress and in the legal arena. In 1821 he was appointed to the bench for the Philadelphia district court. He held that position until his death the following year.
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