George Read

George Read (September 18, 1733–September 21, 1798) was an American lawyer and politician from New Castle, Delaware in New Castle County. He was a signer of the Declaration of Independence, Governor of Delaware, a delegate to the 1787 Constitutional Convention and U.S. Senator from Delaware.

Constitutional Convention and U.S. Senator

Read was again called to national service in 1786 when he represented Delaware at the Annapolis Convention. Because so few states were represented, this meeting only produced a report calling for a broader convention to be held in Philadelphia the next year.

Related Topics:
1786 - Delaware - Annapolis Convention - Philadelphia

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At what became the Constitutional Convention of 1787, Read again represented Delaware. Quoting from Wright & Morris in their Soldier-Statesmen of the Constitution, "Read immediately argued for a new national government under a new Constitution, saying 'to amend the Articles was simply putting old cloth on a new garment.' He was a leader in the fight for a strong central government, advocating, at one time, the abolition of the states altogether and the consolidation of the country under one powerful national government. "Let no one fear the states, the people are with us;" he declared to a Convention shocked by this radical proposal. With no one to support his motion, he settled for protecting the rights of the small states against the infringements of their larger, more populous neighbors who, he feared, would 'probably combine to swallow up the smaller ones by addition, division or impoverishment." He warned that Delaware "would become at once a cypher in the union' if the principle of equal representation embodied in the New Jersey (small-state) Plan was not adopted and if the method of amendment in the Articles was not retained. He favored giving Congress the right to veto state laws, making the federal legislature immune to popular whims by having senators hold office for nine years or during good behavior, and granting the President broad appointive powers. Outspoken, he threatened to lead the Delaware delegation out of the Convention if the rights of the small states were not specifically guaranteed in the new Constitution." Once adopted he led the ratification movement in Delaware which, partly as a result of his efforts, became the first state to ratify.

Related Topics:
Constitutional Convention of 1787 - Delaware - Articles - President

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Following the adoption of the Federal Constitution of 1787, the Delaware General Assembly elected him as one of the two U.S. Senators from Delaware. His term began March 4, 1789, he was relected in 1790 and served through September 18, 1793. As Senator he supported the assumption of state debts, establishment of a national bank, and the imposition of excise taxes. He resigned as Senator to accept an appointment as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Delaware. He served in that capacity until his death.

Related Topics:
Federal Constitution of 1787 - Delaware General Assembly - Chief Justice - Supreme Court of Delaware

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