Abraham Clark
A signer of the Declaration who earned the nickname 'the Poor Man's Counsellor' for his fierce advocacy of everyday citizens and soldiers.
1725–1794 (age 69)·American Founding Father and politician·Birthday: February 15
Biography
Abraham Clark of New Jersey was not a wealthy planter or a polished orator. He was a surveyor and a self-taught lawyer who built his reputation on a fierce sense of justice for the common man. This made him a perfect, if unconventional, representative for the revolutionary cause. At the Continental Congress, he was a quiet but determined signer of the Declaration of Independence, fully aware the act could mean his death. His true passion lay in supporting the troops; he served on the committee that directed the Continental Army and became a vocal, often frustrated, champion for soldiers suffering in British prisons, including his own sons. After the war, he carried this populist spirit into the new government as a U.S. Representative, consistently arguing against centralized financial power that he felt threatened the republic's farmers and laborers.
#1 When Abraham Was Born
The biggest hits of 1725
Abraham's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1725Born
1730Started school
1738Became a teenager
1741Could drive
1743Could vote
1746Turned 21
1755Turned 30
1765Turned 40
1775Turned 50
1785Turned 60
1794Died at 69
Key Achievements
- Signed the United States Declaration of Independence as a delegate from New Jersey in 1776.
- Served as a New Jersey delegate to the Continental Congress throughout the Revolutionary War.
- Elected to the United States House of Representatives, serving from 1791 until his death in 1794.
- Served on the Congressional committee that oversaw the Continental Army during the war.
Did You Know?
Two of his sons were captured by the British during the war and held on the notorious prison ship HMS Jersey.
He opposed the United States Constitution initially, believing it gave too much power to a central government.
His nickname, 'the Poor Man's Counsellor,' came from his willingness to provide legal services for those who could not afford to pay.
He is buried in Rahway, New Jersey, in the local churchyard.
“The price of liberty is the blood of the brave and the vigilance of the free.”
