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William Paterson ( December 24, 1745 - September 9, 1806) was a New Jersey statesman and signer of the United States Constitution.
William Paterson was born in northern Ireland, moved to the United States at age 2, and entered Princeton University at age 14. After graduating he studied law with the prominent lawyer Richard Stockton and was admitted to the bar in 1768.
Paterson became an outspoken supporter of American independence. He was selected as Somerset County delegate for the first three provincial congresses of New Jersey, where as secretary he recorded New Jersey's constitution in 1776.
After Independence, Paterson was appointed New Jersey's first attorney general, maintaining law and order and establishing himself as the best lawyer in the state. He was sent to the 1787 Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia where he proposed the New Jersey Plan for unicameral legislative body with equal representation from each state. After the Great Compromise (for two legislative bodies), the Constitution was signed.
He served as governor of New Jersey and in the New Jersey state senate, where he oversaw the revision and codification of the entire state legal system. George WashingtonGeorge Washington ( February 22, 1732— December 14, 1799), also called Father of his Country 1 was an American general and Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War ( 1775 1783) and later the first President of the Unite appointed him associate justice of the United States Supreme Court in 1793Events January 2 Russia and Prussia partition Poland January 9 Jean-Pierre Blanchard becomes the first to fly in a balloon in the United States. January 21 After being found guilty of treason by the French Convention, "Citizen Capet" ie. Louis XVI of Fran.
Paterson, New JerseyPassaic River in the foreground. The area along the river was formerly the site of most the mills that flourished throughout the city's history Paterson is a city located in Passaic County, New Jersey. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total populatio and William Paterson UniversityWilliam Paterson University is a public university located in Wayne, New Jersey. The school is one of the nine state colleges and universities in New Jersey and has about 9,200 undergraduate students and 1,700 graduate students, and 350 full-time faculty. are named after him.| Preceded by: Elisha Lawrence |
GovernorsThis is a list of governors of New Jersey . Governors under the Proprietors (1665-1674) Philip Carteret 1665-1672 John Berry 1672-1673 Anthony Colve 1673-1674 Governors of East Jersey and their Deputies (1674-1702) Philip Carteret 1674-1682 Robert Barclay of New Jersey | Succeeded by: Thomas Henderson |