William Paterson lived from December 24, 1745 to September 9, 1806 and was an American statesman, lawyer, jurist and signer of the United States Constitution who served as an associate justice of the United States Supreme Court, as the second governor of New Jersey, and as a founding father of the United States. Born in County Antrim, Ireland, he moved to the American colonies as a young child, graduated from the College of New Jersey, now Princeton University, studied law under Richard Stockton, and was admitted to the bar in 1768. He helped write New Jerseys 1776 constitution and served as the states attorney general from 1776 to 1783, then represented New Jersey at the 1787 Constitutional Convention, where he proposed the New Jersey Plan calling for equal representation among the states in Congress. After ratification he served in the United States Senate from 1789 to 1790, helping draft the Judiciary Act of 1789, resigned to become governor of New Jersey, and in 1793 accepted appointment by President George Washington as an associate justice of the Supreme Court, serving until his death in 1806.
Facts
RoleAssociate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, 1793 to 1806; second Governor of New Jersey; signer of the United States Constitution 2 Nationality / Jurisdiction Place of Death Classification
Field of Law Role
Role (category) FAQs
What did the New Jersey Plan that William Paterson presented actually propose?
A plan to revise the Articles of Confederation rather than replace them, giving Congress new powers over revenue and trade and adding a federal executive and judiciary.
On June 15, 1787, Paterson laid before the Constitutional Convention a plan from the New Jersey delegation, which he said several deputations wished to substitute for the plan proposed by Randolph. The record of the debates, kept by James Madison, spells his name Patterson. The first resolution held that the Articles of Confederation ought to be revised, corrected and enlarged so as to make the federal government adequate to the exigencies of government and the preservation of the Union. Congress would be authorized to raise revenue by duties on imported goods, by stamps on paper, vellum and parchment, and by a postage on letters, and to regulate trade. The plan also provided for a federal executive and for a federal judiciary with a supreme tribunal, whose judges were to be appointed by the executive and to hold office during good behavior. The convention referred the plan to a committee of the whole, to be weighed against the Randolph plan.
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Source William Paterson (Wikipedia)Lead sentence 1tier 2Quote, Lead sentence 1
William Paterson (December 24, 1745 – September 9, 1806) was an American statesman, lawyer, jurist, and signer of the United States Constitution.
Sources
1. William Paterson (judge) (Wikipedia)
WikipediaFull article, field of lawQuote, Full article, field of law
He also published a revision of the rules of the chancery and common law courts in Paterson, later adopted by the New Jersey Legislature.
2. William Paterson (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia contributorsLead section, opening paragraph
William Paterson (December 24, 1745 - September 9, 1806) was an American statesman, lawyer, jurist, and signer of the United States Constitution. He was an associate justice of the United States Supreme Court, the second governor of New Jersey, and a Founding Father of the United States.
Introduction
William Paterson (December 24, 1745 - September 9, 1806) was an American statesman, lawyer, jurist, and signer of the United States Constitution. He was an associate justice of the United States Supreme Court, the second governor of New Jersey, and a Founding Father of the United States. Born in County Antrim, Ireland, Paterson moved to the North American British colonies at a young age.
Death and interment section
He was on his way to the spa at Ballston Springs, New York, to "take the waters", when he died at the Van Rensselaer Manor home of his daughter, Cornelia, and son-in-law, Stephen Van Rensselaer, in Albany, New York.
Member Of: United States Supreme Court, Lead section
He was an associate justice of the United States Supreme Court, the second governor of New Jersey, and a Founding Father of the United States.
View the Source Wikidata: William Paterson
- Wikidata Q729054, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)
- In Legal System: Law of the United States, William Paterson (December 24, 1745, September 9, 1806) was an American statesman, lawyer, jurist, and signer of the Un
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