People of the Revolutionary War | Patriots of the American Revolution | William Williams
William Williams
1731-1811
A political leader in the American Revolution, signer of the Declaration of Independence, b.
Lebanon, Conn. He served in the French and Indian War and held many
public offices before becoming a Connecticut delegate (1776-78,
1783-84) to the Continental Congress.
William Williams was born in Lebanon, Connecticut in
1731. He graduated from Harvard in 1751 and then studies for the
ministry with his father. He later dropped plans to become a minister
though, and went on to become a merchant instead.
Williams political career was state oriented. He was a speaker for
the lower house of the colonial legislature from 1755 until 1776, and
from 1784 until 1803, he was a member of the Governors Council.
Williams was tremendously supportive of the Revolutionary cause. He
wrote newspaper commentaries and prepared Revolutionary state papers
for the Governor. Furthermore, he served as a colonel on the state
militia between 1773 and 1776. He attended the Continental Congress at
two different times (1776-1778 and 1783-1784), and helped with the
framing of the Articles of Confederation.
William Williams died in 1811 at the age of eighty. He lies in
Trumbull Cemetery, not far from his hometown.
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