View source for Thomas McKean

{{short description|American Founding Father and politician (1734–1817)}}
{{Other people}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2017}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name                = Thomas McKean
| image               = ThomasMcKean7.jpg
| image_size          = 220
| caption             = 1787 portrait of McKean and his son Thomas Jr. by [[Charles Willson Peale]] 
| office              = 2nd [[List of governors of Pennsylvania|Governor of Pennsylvania]]
| term_start          = December 17, 1799
| term_end            = December 20, 1808
| predecessor         = [[Thomas Mifflin]]
| successor           = [[Simon Snyder]]
| office2             = Chief Justice of the [[Supreme Court of Pennsylvania|Pennsylvania Supreme Court]]
| term_start2         = July 28, 1777
| term_end2           = December 17, 1799
| predecessor2        = [[Benjamin Chew]]
| successor2          = [[Edward Shippen IV]]
| office3             = 2nd [[President of the Confederation Congress]]
| term_start3         = July 10, 1781
| term_end3           = November 4, 1781
| predecessor3        = [[Samuel Huntington (statesman)|Samuel Huntington]]
| successor3          = [[John Hanson]]
| office4             = Member of the [[Continental Congress]]<br>from [[Delaware]]
| term_start4         = December 17, 1777
| term_end4           = February 1, 1783
| term_start5         = August 2, 1774
| term_end5           = November 7, 1776
| office6             = 2nd [[List of governors of Delaware|President of Delaware]]
| term_start6         = September 22, 1777
| term_end6           = October 20, 1777
| predecessor6        = [[John McKinly]]
| successor6          = [[George Read (American politician, born 1733)|George Read]]
| birth_date          = {{birth date|1734|3|19}}
| birth_place         = [[New London Township, Pennsylvania|New London Township]], [[Province of Pennsylvania|Pennsylvania Province]], [[British America]]
| death_date          = {{death date and age|1817|6|24|1734|3|19}}
| death_place         = [[Philadelphia]], Pennsylvania, U.S.
| restingplace        = [[Laurel Hill Cemetery]]
| spouse              = Mary Borden<br />Sarah Armitage
| party               = [[Federalist Party|Federalist]] {{small|(before 1796)}}<br>[[Democratic-Republican Party|Democratic-Republican]] {{small|(1796–1817)}}
| signature           = Thomas McKean Signature.svg
}}

'''Thomas McKean''' ({{IPAc-en|m|ɪ|k|'|k|eɪ|n}}; March 19, 1734{{spnd}}June 24, 1817) was an American lawyer, politician, and [[Founding Father of the United States|Founding Father]]. During the [[American Revolution]] he was a Delaware delegate to the [[Continental Congress]] in Philadelphia, where he signed the [[Continental Association]], the [[United States Declaration of Independence|Declaration of Independence]], and the [[Articles of Confederation]]. He served as [[President of the Continental Congress|President of Congress]] for four months in 1781. McKean was at various times a member of the [[Federalist Party|Federalist]] and the [[Democratic-Republican Party|Democratic-Republican]] parties and served as [[List of governors of Delaware|president of Delaware]], chief justice of Pennsylvania, and the second [[List of governors of Pennsylvania|governor of Pennsylvania]].<ref>"[https://www.newspapers.com/image/325157119/?terms=%22David%20Rittenhouse%20Porter%22&match=1 The Governors of Pennsylvania]." Mount Union, Pennsylvania: ''The Mount Union Times'', January 27, 1911, p. 1 (subscription required).</ref> He also held numerous other public offices.

==Early life and education==
[[File:Coat of Arms of Thomas McKean.svg|thumb|McKean's [[coat of arms]]]]
[[File:Charles Willson Peale - Thomas McKean - NPG.66.63 - National Portrait Gallery.jpg|thumb|Portrait by [[Charles Willson Peale]]]]
[[File:Mrs Thomas McKean (Sarah Armitage) and Her Daughter, Maria Louisa by, Charles Willson Peale (1741 - 1827).jpg|thumb|right|Sarah Armitage McKean with their daughter Maria Louisa ([[Charles Willson Peale]], 1787)]]

McKean was born on March 19, 1734, in [[New London Township, Pennsylvania|New London Township]] in the [[Province of Pennsylvania]], then one of the [[Thirteen Colonies]] of [[British America]], to William McKean and Letitia Finney. His father, William, immigrated from Ireland to the colony of Pennsylvania in 1720, and was later listed as a tavern keeper. 

When his mother, Letitia, died in the fall of 1742, it took a strain on Thomas's, father, William. He quickly became an alcoholic, and because of that, was incapable of raising his family. Thomas's younger sister, went to go live with their aunt and uncle, while eight-year-old Thomas, and ten-year-old, Robert began their education under Reverend [[Francis Alison]] at his school in [[New Castle, Delaware]].{{sfn|Wilson|Fiske|1888|p=127}}

During his education, McKean took on a boyhood attitude, beyond his studies. By the time he reached his adolescence, he had learned how to ride a [[horse]] and shoot a [[gun]]. Though the school was simply for boys, McKean did interact with some females, which included Reverend Alison's wife, Hannah Armitage, and her toddler half-sister, Sarah Armitage, though McKean gave her little attention, preferring to be with his friends, [[Charles Thomson]] and [[George Read (American politician, born 1733)|George Read]]. After a decade studying at Dr. Alison's academy, McKean's brother, Robert, left for [[London]] to study [[medicine]], which was the first time the two were separated. 

In 1750, McKean finally finished his studies with Dr. Alison, and shortly thereafter moved in with his uncle, John Finney, who was a wealthy [[lawyer]] at the time. During this, McKean studied with his cousin, David Finney, and after four years, in 1754, he was finally admitted to the [[Bar (law)]]. 

At some point, McKean met Mary Borden, the daughter of [[Colonel]] Joseph Borden of [[New Jersey]]. They would marry on July 21, 1763 in Mary's hometown of [[Bordentown]]. Together, they had six children, two boys, and four girls, one of whom died in childhood. Mary Borden would die on March 12, 1773, in Delaware of an unknown cause. 

Shortly after the death of Mary Borden, at some point, McKean reconnected with Sarah Armitage, who he'd marry on September 16, 1774, and would live at the northeast corner of Third and Pine streets in Philadelphia. Together they would have four children, one of whom married the Spanish diplomat, [[Carlos Martínez de Irujo, 1st Marquess of Casa Irujo|Carlos Martínez de Irujo]], who was appointed to his position in 1796.

==Career==
In 1755, he was admitted to the bar of the [[Delaware Colony|Lower Counties]], as Delaware was then known, and likewise in the Province of Pennsylvania the following year. In 1756, he was appointed deputy attorney general for [[Sussex County, Delaware|Sussex County]]. From the 1762–1763 session to the 1775–1776 session, he was a member of the General Assembly of the Lower Counties, serving as its speaker in 1772–1773. From July 1765, he also served as a judge of the Court of Common Pleas and began service as the customs collector at New Castle in 1771. In November 1765, his Court of Common Pleas became the first such court in the colonies to establish a rule for all the proceedings of the court to be recorded on [[Stamp Act 1765|unstamped paper]]. In 1768, McKean was elected to the revived [[American Philosophical Society]].<ref>Bell, Whitfield J., and Charles Greifenstein, Jr. ''Patriot-Improvers: Biographical Sketches of Members of the American Philosophical Society''. 3 vols. Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, 1997, I:26, 32, 150–51, 218, 386, II: 343, 360, III: 65, 397–409, 398.</ref>

Delaware was politically divided in the 18th century into loose political factions known as the "Court Party" and the "Country Party". The majority Court Party was generally Anglican, was strongest in Kent and Sussex counties, worked well with the colonial Proprietary government, and supported reconciliation with the British government. The minority Country Party was largely Irish Presbyterian, also referred to as "Scotch-Irish", was centered in [[New Castle County, Delaware]], and quickly advocated independence from the British. The revolutionary slogan "[[no taxation without representation]]" had originated in the north of Ireland under the British Penal Laws, which denied Presbyterians and Catholics the right to vote for members of the parliament. McKean was the epitome of the Country Party politician and was, as much as anyone else, its leader.{{sfn|Fremont-Barnes|2007|p=467}} As such, he generally worked in partnership with [[Caesar Rodney]] from Kent County and in opposition to his friend and neighbor, [[George Read (American politician, born 1733)|George Read]].

At the [[Stamp Act Congress]] of 1765, McKean and Caesar Rodney represented Delaware. McKean proposed the voting procedure that the Continental Congress later adopted: each colony, regardless of size or population, would have one vote. That decision set the precedent, the [[Congress of the Confederation|Congress of the Articles of Confederation]] adopted the practice, and the principle of state equality has continued in the composition of the [[United States Senate]].

McKean quickly became one of the most influential members of the Stamp Act Congress. He was on the committee that drew the memorial to parliament and, with [[John Rutledge]] and [[Philip Livingston]], revised its proceedings. On the last day of its session, when the business session ended, [[Timothy Ruggles]], the president of the body, and a few other more cautious members refused to sign the memorial of rights and grievances. McKean arose and addressing the chair insisted that the president give his reasons for his refusal. After refusing at first, Ruggles remarked that "it was against his conscience." McKean then disputed his use of the word "conscience" so loudly and so long that a challenge was given by Ruggles and accepted in the presence of the Congress. However, Ruggles left the next morning at daybreak, and so the duel did not take place.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.colonialhall.com/mckean/mckean.php |title=Lives of the Signers to the Declaration of Independence |publisher=Colonial Hall |date=2005-09-27 |access-date=2017-07-05 |archive-date=December 1, 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051201142042/http://www.colonialhall.com/mckean/mckean.php |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==American Revolution==
[[File:Declaration of Independence (1819), by John Trumbull.jpg|thumb|right|250px|The presentation of the Declaration of Independence to Congress.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.americanrevolution.org/deckey.html |title=Key to Declaration |publisher=Americanrevolution.org |access-date=2017-07-05}}</ref>]]
In spite of his primary residence in [[Philadelphia]], McKean remained the effective leader for American independence in Delaware. Along with Read and Caesar Rodney, he was one of Delaware's delegates to the [[First Continental Congress]] in 1774 and the [[Second Continental Congress]] in 1775 and 1776.

Being an outspoken advocate of independence, McKean was a key voice in persuading others to vote for a split with Great Britain. When Congress began debating a resolution of independence in June 1776, Rodney was absent. Read was against independence, which meant that the Delaware delegation was split between McKean and Read and therefore could not vote in favor of independence. McKean requested that the absent Rodney ride all night from [[Dover, Delaware|Dover]] to break the tie. After the vote in favor of independence on July 2, McKean participated in the debate over the wording of the official Declaration of Independence, which was approved on July 4.

A few days after McKean cast his vote, he left Congress to serve as colonel in command of the Fourth Battalion of the [[Associators|Pennsylvania Associators]], a militia unit created by [[Benjamin Franklin]] in 1747. They joined General [[George Washington]]'s defense of [[New York City]] at [[Perth Amboy, New Jersey]]. Being away, McKean was not available when most of the signers placed their signatures on the Declaration of Independence on August 2, 1776. Since his signature did not appear on the printed copy that was authenticated on January 17, 1777, it is assumed that he signed after that date, possibly as late as 1781.<ref>G. S. Rowe, "McKean, Thomas". ''[[American National Biography Online]]'', February 2000.</ref>

In a conservative reaction against the advocates of American independence, the 1776-1777 Delaware General Assembly did not reelect either McKean or Rodney to the Continental Congress in October 1776. However, the British occupation after the [[Battle of Brandywine]] swung opinions enough that McKean was returned to Congress in October 1777 by the 1777–1778 Delaware General Assembly. During that time, he was constantly pursued by British forces. Over the course of the following years, he was forced to relocate his family five times.{{sfn|Wilson|Fiske|1888|p=128}}

He served continuously in the Congress until February 1, 1783. McKean helped draft the [[Articles of Confederation]] and voted for their adoption on March 1, 1781. When poor health caused [[Samuel Huntington (Connecticut politician)|Samuel Huntington]] to resign as president of Congress in July 1781, McKean was elected as his successor. He served from July 10 to November 4, 1781. The position was mostly ceremonial with no real authority, but the office required McKean to handle a good deal of correspondence and sign official documents.<ref>Rick K. Wilson, ''Congressional Dynamics: ...in the First American Congress, 1774–1789'' (Stanford University Press, 1994), 76–80.</ref> During his time in office, [[Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis|Lord Cornwallis]]'s British army [[Siege of Yorktown|surrendered at Yorktown]], which effectively ended the war.{{sfn|Fremont-Barnes|2007|p=467}}

==Government of Delaware==
[[File:ThomasMcKean.gif|thumb|Thomas McKean|right]]
Meanwhile, McKean led the effort in the General Assembly of Delaware to declare its separation from the British government, which it did on June 15, 1776. In August, he was elected to the special convention to draft a new state constitution. Upon hearing of it, McKean made the long ride to Dover, Delaware, from Philadelphia in a single day, went to a room in an inn, and that night, virtually by himself, drafted the document. It was adopted September 20, 1776. The [[Delaware Constitution of 1776]] became the first state constitution to be produced after the Declaration of Independence.

McKean was elected to Delaware's first House of Assembly for both the 1776–1777 and the 1778–1779 sessions, succeeding [[John McKinly]] as speaker on February 12, 1777, when McKinly became president of Delaware. Shortly after President McKinly's capture and imprisonment, McKean served as the president of Delaware for a month, from September 22 to October 20, 1777. That was the time needed for the successor George Read to return from the Continental Congress in Philadelphia and to assume the duties.

Immediately after the Battle of Brandywine, the British Army occupied [[Wilmington, Delaware|Wilmington]] and much of northern [[New Castle County, Delaware|New Castle County]]. Its navy also controlled the lower [[Delaware River]] and [[Delaware Bay]]. As a result, the state capital, New Castle, was unsafe as a meeting place, and the Sussex County seat, [[Lewes, Delaware|Lewes]], was sufficiently disrupted by [[Loyalist (American Revolution)|Loyalists]] that it was unable to hold a valid general election that autumn. As president, McKean was primarily occupied with recruitment of the militia and with keeping some semblance of civic order in the portions of the state still under his control.

{| class="wikitable"  style="text-align:center; width:94%; margin:auto;"
|- style="background:#ccc;"
! colspan="12" style="background:#ccf;"|[[Delaware General Assembly]] <br /> {{small|''(sessions while President)''}}
|-
!Year
!Assembly
!
!Senate Majority
!Speaker
!
!House Majority
!Speaker
|-
|1776/77
|[[Delaware General Assembly|1st]]
|
|{{Party shading/Federalist}} |''non-partisan''
|{{Party shading/Federalist}} |[[George Read (American politician, born 1733)|George Read]]
|
|{{Party shading/Federalist}} |''non-partisan''
|{{Party shading/Federalist}} |vacant
|}

==Government of Pennsylvania==
McKean started his long tenure as chief justice of Pennsylvania on July 28, 1777, and served in that capacity until 1799. There, he largely set the rules of justice for revolutionary Pennsylvania. According to the biographer John Coleman, "only the historiographical difficulty of reviewing court records and other scattered documents prevents recognition that McKean, rather than [[John Marshall]], did more than anyone else to establish an independent judiciary in the United States. As chief justice under a Pennsylvania constitution he considered flawed, he assumed it the right of the court to strike down legislative acts it deemed unconstitutional, preceding by ten years the [[U.S. Supreme Court]]'s establishment of the doctrine of [[judicial review in the United States|judicial review]]. He augmented the rights of defendants and sought penal reform, but on the other hand was slow to recognize expansion of the legal rights of women and the processes in the state's gradual elimination of slavery."

He was a member of the convention of Pennsylvania that ratified the Constitution of the United States. In the Pennsylvania State Constitutional Convention of 1789/90, he argued for a strong executive and was himself a Federalist. Nevertheless, in 1796, dissatisfied with the Federalists' domestic policies and compromises with Great Britain, he became an outspoken Jeffersonian Republican, or Democratic-Republican.
[[File:Thomas Mckean.jpg|thumb|Letter from Thomas McKean to Israel Shreve, 1792]]

While chief justice of Pennsylvania, McKean played a role in the [[Whiskey Rebellion]]. On August 2, 1794, he took part in a conference on the rebellion. In attendance were Washington, his Cabinet, the governor of Pennsylvania, and other officials. Washington interpreted the rebellion to be a grave threat could mean "an end to our Constitution and laws." Washington advocated "the most spirited and firm measure" but held back on what that meant. McKean argued that the matter should be left up to the courts, not the military, to prosecute and punish the rebels. [[Alexander Hamilton]] insisted upon the "propriety of an immediate resort to Military force."<ref>{{cite web|last1=Center for History and New Media, George Mason University|title=Insurrection in Western Pennsylvania: The Whiskey Rebellion|url=http://wardepartmentpapers.org/blog/?p=285|website=Papers of the War Department}}</ref> Some weeks later, Mckean and General William Irvine wrote to Pennsylvania Governor [[Thomas Mifflin]] and discussed the mission of federal committees to negotiate with the Rebels, describing them as "well disposed." However, McKean and Irvine felt the government must suppress the insurrection to prevent it from spreading to nearby counties.<ref>{{cite web|last1=University of Pittsburgh Darlington Autograph Files|title=Thomas McKean and William Irvine to Governor Thomas Mifflin, August 22, 1794|url=http://digital.library.pitt.edu/cgi-bin/f/findaid/findaid-idx?c=ascead;cc=ascead;q1=joseph%20brant;rgn=main;view=text;didno=US-PPiU-dar192507}}</ref>

McKean was elected governor of Pennsylvania and served three terms from December 17, 1799, to December 20, 1808. In the [[1799 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election|1799 election]], he defeated the Federalist Party nominee [[James Ross (Pennsylvania politician)|James Ross]] and again more easily in the [[1802 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election|1802 election]]. At first, McKean ousted Federalists from state government positions and so he has been called the father of the [[spoils system]]. However, in seeking a third term in [[1805 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election|1805]], McKean was at odds with factions of his own Democratic-Republican Party, and the [[Pennsylvania General Assembly]] instead nominated Speaker [[Simon Snyder]] for governor. McKean then forged an alliance with Federalists, called "the Quids," and defeated Snyder.<ref name="Results">{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8BVQAAAAYAAJ |title=The Pennsylvania State Register for 1831 |page=54 |date=1831 |access-date=2020-05-15}}</ref> Afterwards, he began removing Jeffersonians from state positions.

The governor's beliefs in stronger executive and judicial powers were bitterly denounced by the influential ''[[Philadelphia Aurora|Aurora]]'' newspaper publisher [[William Duane (journalist)|William P. Duane]] and the Philadelphia populist [[Michael Leib]]. After they led public attacks calling for his [[Impeachment in the United States|impeachment]], McKean filed a partially successful libel suit against Duane in 1805. The [[Pennsylvania House of Representatives]] impeached the governor in 1807, but, for the rest of his term, his friends prevented an [[impeachment trial]] from being held, and the matter was dropped. When the suit was settled after McKean left office, his son Joseph angrily criticized Duane's attorney for alleging out of context that McKean referred to the people of Pennsylvania as "clodpoles" (clodhoppers).<ref>[http://www.phmc.state.pa.us/bah/dam/governors/mckean.asp?secid=31 Pennsylvania Governors] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050923045842/http://www.phmc.state.pa.us/bah/dam/governors/mckean.asp?secid=31 |date=September 23, 2005 }}</ref>

[[File:ThomasMcKean2.jpg|225px|right]]

Some of McKean's other accomplishments included expanding free education for all and, at age eighty, leading a Philadelphia citizens group to organize a strong defense during the [[War of 1812]]. He spent his retirement in Philadelphia in writing, discussing political affairs, and enjoying the considerable wealth that he had earned through investments and real estate.

==Death, honors, and legacy==
[[File:ThomasMcKeanGrave.jpg|thumb|Thomas McKean gravestone in [[Laurel Hill Cemetery]]]]
[[File:CloseUpConstitutionNames.JPG|thumb|The [[Memorial to the 56 Signers of the Declaration of Independence]] in Washington, D.C., McKean's depicted signature is centered, bottom]]
McKean was a member of the Pennsylvania [[Society of the Cincinnati]] in 1785 and was subsequently its vice president.

McKean was also bestowed honorary [[Legum Doctor|LL.D.]] degrees (a) in 1781 by [[Princeton University|College of New Jersey (later renamed Princeton University)]], (b) in 1782 by [[Dartmouth College]], and (c) in 1785 by his alma mater, University of Pennsylvania.

With [[University of Pennsylvania]] law professor [[James Wilson (Founding Father)]], McKean published "Commentaries on the Constitution of the United States" in 1790.<ref>Chief Justice Thomas McKean (M'Kean) https://www.pacourts.us/Storage/media/pdfs/20220509/144216-mckean(m'kean).pdf accessed September 7, 2023</ref>

McKean died in Philadelphia and was buried in the First Presbyterian Church Cemetery there. In 1843, his body was moved to Laurel Hill Cemetery.{{sfn|Fremont-Barnes|2007|p=467}}

[[McKean County, Pennsylvania]]<ref>{{cite book|last=Gannett|first=Henry|title=The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States|url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ|year=1905|publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office|page=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ/page/n193 194]}}</ref> is named in his honor, as is [[Thomas McKean High School]] in New Castle County, also McKean Street in Philadelphia, and the McKean Hall dormitory at the [[University of Delaware]]. [[Pennsylvania State University|Penn State University]] also has a residence hall and a campus road named for him.

Oddly, the name of "Keap Street" in [[Brooklyn]], New York, is the result of an erroneous effort to name a street after him. Many Brooklyn streets are named after signers of the Declaration of Independence, and "Keap Street" is the result of planners being unable to accurately read his signature.{{sfn|Benardo|Weiss|2006|p=22}} In some accounts the "M" of McKean was mistaken for a middle initial, and the flourish on the "n" in McKean led to the ''n'' being misread as a "p".

McKean was over six feet tall, and he typically wore a large cocked hat and carried a gold-headed cane. He was a man of quick temper and vigorous personality, "with a thin face, hawk nose and hot eyes." John Adams described him as "one of the three men in the Continental Congress who appeared to me to see more clearly to the end of the business than any others in the body." As chief justice and governor of Pennsylvania he was frequently the center of controversy.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.si.edu/harcourt/npg/col/age/mckean2.htm |title=The Age of Revolution |access-date=2006-06-01 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20010512114300/http://www.si.edu/harcourt/npg/col/age/mckean2.htm |archive-date=May 12, 2001 |df=mdy-all }}</ref><ref>[http://www2.cybergolf.com/sites/courses/talamore.asp?id=300&page=7779 Pine Run Farms – The McKean Estate] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927022336/http://www2.cybergolf.com/sites/courses/talamore.asp?id=300&page=7779 |date=September 27, 2007 }}</ref>

==In popular culture==
In the 1969 Broadway musical, ''[[1776 (musical)|1776]]'', McKean is portrayed as a gun-toting cantankerous old Scot who cannot get along with the wealthy and conservative planter George Read.{{citation needed|date=July 2012}} In truth, McKean and Read belonged to opposing political factions in Delaware, but McKean was not a Scottish immigrant. His parents were Irish Presbyterians (referred to as "Scotch-Irish" in America and "Ulster Scots" by a minority in Northern Ireland). His surname is pronounced mc-CANE but was mispronounced as mc-KEEN in the film adaptation of the musical.{{citation needed|date=July 2012}} McKean was portrayed by Bruce MacKay<ref>{{cite web|title=1776|url=http://www.ibdb.com/production.php?id=2859|publisher=IBDB|access-date=July 7, 2012}}</ref> in the original Broadway cast and [[Ray Middleton (actor)|Ray Middleton]] in the 1972 [[1776 (film)|film version]].

==Almanac==
Delaware elections were held October 1, and members of the General Assembly took office on October 20 or the following weekday. State Assemblymen had a one-year term. The whole General Assembly chose the Continental Congressmen for a one-year term and the State President for a three-year term. Judges of the Courts of Common Pleas were also selected by the General Assembly for the life of the person appointed. McKean served as state president only temporarily, filling the vacancy created by John McKinly's capture and resignation and awaiting the arrival of George Read.

Pennsylvania elections were held in October as well. The [[Supreme Executive Council of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania|Pennsylvania Supreme Executive Council]] was created in 1776 and counsellors were popularly elected for three-year terms. A joint ballot of the Pennsylvania General Assembly and the council chose the president from among the twelve counsellors for a one-year term. The chief justice of the [[Supreme Court of Pennsylvania|Pennsylvania Supreme Court]] was also selected by the General Assembly and Council for the life of the person appointed.

{| class="wikitable"  style="text-align:center; width:94%; margin:auto;"
|- style="background:#ccc;"
! colspan="8" style="background:#ccf;"| Public Offices
|-
! Office
! State
! Type
! Location
! Began office
! Ended office
! notes
|-{{Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian}}
|[[Delaware House of Representatives|Assemblyman]]
|[[Delaware Colony|Lower Counties]]
|[[Legislature]]
|[[New Castle, Delaware|New Castle]]
|October 20, 1763
|October 20, 1764
|
|-{{Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian}}
|[[Delaware House of Representatives|Assemblyman]]
|[[Delaware Colony|Lower Counties]]
|[[Legislature]]
|[[New Castle, Delaware|New Castle]]
|October 20, 1764
|October 21, 1765
|
|-{{Party shading/Anti-Administration}}
|[[Judge]]
|[[Delaware Colony|Lower Counties]]
|[[Judiciary]]
|[[New Castle, Delaware|New Castle]]
|1765
|1774
|[[Delaware Court of Common Pleas|Court of Common Pleas]]
|-{{Party shading/Anti-Masonic}}
|[[Delegate (American politics)|Delegate]]
|[[Delaware Colony|Lower Counties]]
|[[Legislature]]
|[[New York City|New York]]
|October 7, 1765
|October 19, 1765
|[[Stamp Act Congress]]<ref>Members of the Delaware Assembly acted unofficially in selecting these delegates as the assembly was not in session.</ref> 
|-{{Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian}}
|[[Delaware House of Representatives|Assemblyman]]
|[[Delaware Colony|Lower Counties]]
|[[Legislature]]
|[[New Castle, Delaware|New Castle]]
|October 21, 1765
|October 20, 1766
|
|-{{Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian}}
|[[Delaware House of Representatives|Assemblyman]]
|[[Delaware Colony|Lower Counties]]
|[[Legislature]]
|[[New Castle, Delaware|New Castle]]
|October 20, 1766
|October 20, 1767
|
|-{{Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian}}
|[[Delaware House of Representatives|Assemblyman]]
|[[Delaware Colony|Lower Counties]]
|[[Legislature]]
|[[New Castle, Delaware|New Castle]]
|October 20, 1767
|October 20, 1768
|
|-{{Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian}}
|[[Delaware House of Representatives|Assemblyman]]
|[[Delaware Colony|Lower Counties]]
|[[Legislature]]
|[[New Castle, Delaware|New Castle]]
|October 20, 1768
|October 20, 1769
|
|-{{Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian}}
|[[Delaware House of Representatives|Assemblyman]]
|[[Delaware Colony|Lower Counties]]
|[[Legislature]]
|[[New Castle, Delaware|New Castle]]
|October 20, 1769
|October 20, 1770
|
|-{{Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian}}
|[[Delaware House of Representatives|Assemblyman]]
|[[Delaware Colony|Lower Counties]]
|[[Legislature]]
|[[New Castle, Delaware|New Castle]]
|October 20, 1770
|October 21, 1771
|
|-{{Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian}}
|[[Delaware House of Representatives|Assemblyman]]
|[[Delaware Colony|Lower Counties]]
|[[Legislature]]
|[[New Castle, Delaware|New Castle]]
|October 21, 1771
|October 20, 1772
|
|-{{Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian}}
|[[Delaware House of Representatives|Assemblyman]]
|[[Delaware Colony|Lower Counties]]
|[[Legislature]]
|[[New Castle, Delaware|New Castle]]
|October 20, 1772
|October 20, 1773
|[[Speaker (politics)|Speaker]]
|-{{Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian}}
|[[Delaware House of Representatives|Assemblyman]]
|[[Delaware Colony|Lower Counties]]
|[[Legislature]]
|[[New Castle, Delaware|New Castle]]
|October 20, 1773
|October 20, 1774
|
|-{{Party shading/Anti-Masonic}}
|[[Delegate (American politics)|Delegate]]
|[[Delaware Colony|Lower Counties]]
|[[Legislature]]
|[[Philadelphia]]
|September 5, 1774
|October 26, 1774
|[[Continental Congress]]
|-{{Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian}}
|[[Delaware House of Representatives|Assemblyman]]
|[[Delaware Colony|Lower Counties]]
|[[Legislature]]
|[[New Castle, Delaware|New Castle]]
|October 20, 1774
|October 20, 1775
|
|-{{Party shading/Anti-Masonic}}
|[[Delegate (American politics)|Delegate]]
|[[Delaware Colony|Lower Counties]]
|[[Legislature]]
|[[Philadelphia]]
|May 10, 1775
|October 21, 1775
|[[Continental Congress]]
|-{{Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian}}
|[[Delaware House of Representatives|Assemblyman]]
|[[Delaware Colony|Lower Counties]]
|[[Legislature]]
|[[New Castle, Delaware|New Castle]]
|October 20, 1775
|June 15, 1776
|
|-{{Party shading/Anti-Masonic}}
|[[Delegate (American politics)|Delegate]]
|[[Delaware Colony|Lower Counties]]
|[[Legislature]]
|[[Philadelphia]]
|October 21, 1775
|November 7, 1776
|[[Continental Congress]]
|-{{Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian}}
|[[Delegate (American politics)|Delegate]]
|[[Delaware]]
|[[Constitutional convention (political meeting)|Convention]]
|[[Dover, Delaware|Dover]]
|August 27, 1776
|September 21, 1776
|[[Constitutional convention (political meeting)|State Constitution]]
|-{{Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian}}
|[[Delaware House of Representatives|State Representative]]
|[[Delaware]]
|[[Legislature]]
|[[New Castle, Delaware|New Castle]]
|October 28, 1776
|September 22, 1777
|[[Speaker (politics)|Speaker]]<ref>He was elected Speaker on February 12, 1777 when John McKinly became State President</ref> 
|-{{Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian}}
|[[Chief Justice]]
|[[Pennsylvania]]
|[[Judiciary]]
|[[Philadelphia]]
|July 28, 1777
|December 17, 1799
|[[Pennsylvania Supreme Court|State Supreme Court]]
|-{{Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian}}
|[[List of governors of Delaware|State President]]
|[[Delaware]]
|[[Executive (government)|Executive]]
|[[New Castle, Delaware|New Castle]]
|September 22, 1777
|October 20, 1777
|Acting<ref>Speaker of the State Assembly, was third in line of succession, upon the capture of John McKinly, and in the absence of George Read.</ref> 
|-{{Party shading/Anti-Masonic}}
|[[Delegate (American politics)|Delegate]]
|[[Delaware]]
|[[Legislature]]
|[[York, Pennsylvania|York]]
|December 17, 1777
|June 27, 1778
|[[Continental Congress]]
|-{{Party shading/Anti-Masonic}}
|[[Delegate (American politics)|Delegate]]
|[[Delaware]]
|[[Legislature]]
|[[Philadelphia]]
|July 2, 1778
|January 18, 1779
|[[Continental Congress]]
|-{{Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian}}
|[[Delaware House of Representatives|State Representative]]
|[[Delaware]]
|[[Legislature]]
|[[Dover, Delaware|Dover]]
|October 20, 1778
|October 20, 1779
|
|-{{Party shading/Anti-Masonic}}
|[[Delegate (American politics)|Delegate]]
|[[Delaware]]
|[[Legislature]]
|[[Philadelphia]]
|January 18, 1779
|December 22, 1779
|[[Continental Congress]]
|-{{Party shading/Anti-Masonic}}
|[[Delegate (American politics)|Delegate]]
|[[Delaware]]
|[[Legislature]]
|[[Philadelphia]]
|December 24, 1779
|February 10, 1781
|[[Continental Congress]]
|-{{Party shading/Anti-Masonic}}
|[[Delegate (American politics)|Delegate]]
|[[Delaware]]
|[[Legislature]]
|[[Philadelphia]]
|February 10, 1781
|March 1, 1781
|[[Continental Congress]]
|-{{Party shading/Anti-Masonic}}
|[[President of the Continental Congress|President]]
|[[Delaware]]
|[[Legislature]]
|[[Philadelphia]]
|March 1, 1781
|November 4, 1781
|[[Congress of the Confederation|Confederation Congress]]<ref>He was elected President on July 10. 1781 and served until November 4, 1781</ref> 
|-{{Party shading/Anti-Masonic}}
|[[Delegate (American politics)|Delegate]]
|[[Delaware]]
|[[Legislature]]
|[[Philadelphia]]
|November 5, 1781
|February 2, 1782
|[[Congress of the Confederation|Confederation Congress]]
|-{{Party shading/Anti-Masonic}}
|[[Delegate (American politics)|Delegate]]
|[[Delaware]]
|[[Legislature]]
|[[Philadelphia]]
|February 2, 1782
|November 2, 1782
|[[Congress of the Confederation|Confederation Congress]]
|-{{Party shading/Anti-Masonic}}
|[[Delegate (American politics)|Delegate]]
|[[Delaware]]
|[[Legislature]]
|[[Philadelphia]]
|November 4, 1782
|February 1, 1783
|[[Congress of the Confederation|Confederation Congress]]
|-{{Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian}}
|[[Delegate (American politics)|Delegate]]
|[[Pennsylvania]]
|[[Constitutional convention (political meeting)|Convention]]
|[[Philadelphia]]
|1789
|1790
|[[Constitutional convention (political meeting)|State Constitution]]
|-{{Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian}}
|[[List of governors of Pennsylvania|Governor]]
|[[Pennsylvania]]
|[[Executive (government)|Executive]]
|[[Philadelphia]]
|December 17, 1799
|December 15, 1802
|
|-{{Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian}}
|[[List of governors of Pennsylvania|Governor]]
|[[Pennsylvania]]
|[[Executive (government)|Executive]]
|[[Philadelphia]]
|December 15, 1802
|December 18, 1805
|
|-{{Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian}}
|[[List of governors of Pennsylvania|Governor]]
|[[Pennsylvania]]
|[[Executive (government)|Executive]]
|[[Philadelphia]]
|December 18, 1805
|December 20, 1808
|
|}

{| class="wikitable"  style="text-align:center; width:94%; margin:auto;"
|- style="background:#ccc;"
! colspan="7" style="background:#ccf;"|Delaware General Assembly service
|-
! Dates
! Assembly
! Chamber
! Majority
! Governor
! Committees
! District
|-{{Party shading/Federalist}}
|1776/77
|[[Delaware General Assembly|1st]]
|[[Delaware House of Representatives|State House]]
|''non-partisan''
|[[John McKinly]]
|[[Speaker (politics)|Speaker]]
|[[New Castle County, Delaware|''New Castle at-large'']]
|-{{Party shading/Federalist}}
|1778/79
|[[Delaware General Assembly|3rd]]
|[[Delaware House of Representatives|State House]]
|''non-partisan''
|[[Caesar Rodney]]
|
|[[New Castle County, Delaware|''New Castle at-large'']]
|}

{| class="wikitable"  style="text-align:center; width:94%; margin:auto;"
|- style="background:#ccc;"
! colspan="13" style="background:#ccf;"|Election results
|-
!Year
!Office
!State
!
!Subject
!Party
!Votes
!%
!
!Opponent
!Party
!Votes
!%
|-
|[[1799 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election|1799]]
|[[List of governors of Pennsylvania|Governor]]
|[[Pennsylvania]]
|
|{{Party shading/Democratic-Republican}} |Thomas McKean
|{{Party shading/Democratic-Republican}} |[[Democratic-Republican Party|Republican]]
|{{Party shading/Democratic-Republican}} |38,036
|{{Party shading/Democratic-Republican}} |54%
|
|{{Party shading/Federalist}} |[[James Ross (Pennsylvania congressman)|James Ross]]
|{{Party shading/Federalist}} |[[Federalist Party (United States)|Federalist]]
|{{Party shading/Federalist}} |32,641
|{{Party shading/Federalist}} |46%
|-
|[[1802 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election|1802]]
|[[List of governors of Pennsylvania|Governor]]
|[[Pennsylvania]]
|
|{{Party shading/Democratic-Republican}} |Thomas McKean
|{{Party shading/Democratic-Republican}} |[[Democratic-Republican Party|Republican]]
|{{Party shading/Democratic-Republican}} |47,879
|{{Party shading/Democratic-Republican}} |83%
|
|{{Party shading/Federalist}} |[[James Ross (Pennsylvania congressman)|James Ross]]
|{{Party shading/Federalist}} |[[Federalist Party (United States)|Federalist]]
|{{Party shading/Federalist}} |9,499
|{{Party shading/Federalist}} |17%
|-
|[[1805 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election|1805]]
|[[List of governors of Pennsylvania|Governor]]
|[[Pennsylvania]]
|
|{{Party shading/Independent}} |Thomas McKean
|{{Party shading/Independent}} |[[Independent (politician)|Independent]]
|{{Party shading/Independent}} |43,644
|{{Party shading/Independent}} |53%
|
|{{Party shading/Democratic-Republican}} |[[Simon Snyder]]
|{{Party shading/Democratic-Republican}} |[[Democratic-Republican Party|Republican]]
|{{Party shading/Democratic-Republican}} |38,438
|{{Party shading/Democratic-Republican}} |47%
|}

==See also==
* [[Memorial to the 56 Signers of the Declaration of Independence]]

==References==
'''Citations'''
<references />

'''Sources'''
* {{cite book |title=Brooklyn By Name |last1=Benardo |first1=Leonard |last2=Weiss| first2=Jennifer |publisher=New York University Press |location=New York |year=2006 |isbn=0-8147-9946-9 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Y3sTCgAAQBAJ}} 
* {{cite book |title=Thomas McKean, Forgotten Leader of the Revolution |last=Coleman |first=John M. |publisher=American Faculty Press |location=Rockaway, New Jersey |year=1984 |isbn=0-912834-07-2}}
* {{cite book |title=History of the State of Delaware, 3 vols. |last=Conrad |first=Henry C. |publisher=Wickersham Company |location=Lancaster, Pennsylvania |year=1908 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JhhRAQAAMAAJ}}
* {{cite book |title=Encyclopedia of the Age of Political Revolutions and New Ideologies, 1760-1815|last=Fremont-Barnes |first=Gregory |publisher=Greenwood Press |year=2007 |isbn=9780313049514 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6_2wkP4j-EsC}}
* {{cite book |title=Democracy in Delaware |last=Hoffecker |first=Carol E. |publisher=Cedar Tree Books |location=Wilmington, Delaware |year=2004 |isbn=1-892142-23-6}}
* {{cite book |title=A History of Delaware Through its Governors |last=Martin |first=Roger A. |publisher=McClafferty Press |location=Wilmington, Delaware |year=1984 }}
* {{cite book |title=Memoirs of the Senate |last=Martin |first=Roger A. |publisher=Roger A. Martin |location=Newark, Delaware |year=1995 }}
* {{cite book |title=The Philadelawareans |last=Munroe |first=John A. |publisher=University of Delaware Press |location=Newark, Delaware |year=2004 |isbn=0-87413-872-8 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JxdJ4EsYMQEC}}
* {{cite book |title=Federalist Delaware 1775–1815 |last=Munroe |first=John A. |publisher=Rutgers University |location=New Brunswick, New Jersey |year=1954 }}
* {{cite book |title=History of Delaware |last=Munroe |first=John A. |publisher=University of Delaware Press |location=Newark, Delaware |year=2006 |isbn=0-87413-493-5 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vs7NcOKnlNUC}}
* {{cite book |title=Biographical Directory of American and Revolutionary Governors 1607–1789 |last=Racino |first=John W. |year=1980 |publisher=Meckler Books |location=Westport, CT |isbn=0-930466-00-4}}
* {{cite book |title=Collected Essays on Early Delaware |last=Rodney |first=Richard S. |publisher=Society of Colonial Wars in the State of Delaware |location=Wilmington, Delaware |year=1975 }}
* {{cite book |title=Thomas McKean, The Shaping of an American Republicanism |last=Rowe |first=G.S. |publisher=Colorado University Press |location=Boulder, Colorado |year=1984 |isbn=0-87081-100-2}}
* {{cite book |title=History of Delaware 1609–1888. 2 vols. |last=Scharf |first=John Thomas |publisher=L. J. Richards & Co. |location=Philadelphia |year=1888 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mqwUAAAAYAAJ}}
* {{cite book |title=The Governors of Pennsylvania, 1790–1990 |last=Swetnam |first=G. |publisher=McDonald/Sward |year=1941 |isbn=0-945437-04-8}}
* {{cite book |title=Delaware Continentals, 1776–1783 |last=Ward |first=Christopher L. |publisher=[[Historical Society of Delaware]] |location=Wilmington, Delaware |year=1941 |isbn=0-924117-21-4}}
* {{cite book |title=Appletons Encyclopedia of American Biography |last1=Wilson |first1=James Grant. |last2=Fiske |first2=John |publisher=D. Appleton and Company |location=New York |year=1888 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=q54LAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA128}}

==External links==
{{commons}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070927185902/http://www.nga.org/portal/site/nga/menuitem.29fab9fb4add37305ddcbeeb501010a0/?vgnextoid=8a94e47a58d5c010VgnVCM1000001a01010aRCRD&vgnextchannel=e449a0ca9e3f1010VgnVCM1000001a01010aRCRD Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States]
* [http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=M000493 Biographical Directory of the United States Congress]
* [http://www.russpickett.com/history/keanbio.htm Biography by Russell Pickett]
* [http://www.russpickett.com/history/delgov1.htm#mckean Delaware’s Governors]
* [http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/mckeague-mckechnie.html#RAZ0UEQKM The Political Graveyard]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20051025030421/http://users.clover.net/mckean/ Biography by Keith J. McLean]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060716180827/http://www.hsd.org/DHE/DHE_who_McKean.htm Historical Society of Delaware]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20040830041103/http://www.cr.nps.gov/history/online_books/declaration/bio30.htm National Park Service]
* [http://www.phmc.state.pa.us/bah/dam/governors/mckean.asp?secid=31 Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050923045842/http://www.phmc.state.pa.us/bah/dam/governors/mckean.asp?secid=31 |date=September 23, 2005 }}
* The [http://www.hsp.org/files/findingaid405mckean.pdf Thomas McKean Papers], including correspondence related to the American Revolution, are available for research use at the [[Historical Society of Pennsylvania]].
* [[Delaware Historical Society]]; [http://www.hsd.org/ website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/19961231010053/http://hsd.org/ |date=December 31, 1996 }}
* [[Historical Society of Pennsylvania]]; [http://www.hsp.org/ website]
* [[University of Delaware]]; [http://www.lib.udel.edu/ Library website]

{{s-start}}
{{s-off}}
{{s-bef|before=[[John McKinly]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[List of governors of Delaware|President of Delaware]]|years=1777}}
{{s-aft|after=[[George Read (American politician, born 1733)|George Read]]}}
|-
{{s-bef|before=[[Samuel Huntington (statesman)|Samuel Huntington]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[President of the Continental Congress]]|years=1781}}
{{s-aft|after=[[John Hanson]]|as=[[President of the Confederation Congress]]}}
|-
{{s-bef|before=[[Thomas Mifflin]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[List of governors of Pennsylvania|Governor of Pennsylvania]]|years=1799–1808}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Simon Snyder]]}}
|-
{{s-ppo}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Thomas Mifflin]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Democratic-Republican Party|Democratic-Republican]] nominee for [[Governor of Pennsylvania]]|years=[[1799 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election|1799]], [[1802 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election|1802]]}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Simon Snyder]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{Governors of Delaware}}
{{PAGeneral}}
{{Governors and Presidents of Pennsylvania}}
{{Presidents of the Continental Congress}}
{{PAChiefJustices}}
{{Signers of the Continental Association}}
{{Signers of the U.S. Declaration of Independence}}
{{USArticlesOfConfederationSig}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mckean, Thomas}}
[[Category:1734 births]]
[[Category:1817 deaths]]
[[Category:19th-century American lawyers]]
[[Category:American people of Scotch-Irish descent]]
[[Category:American Presbyterians]]
[[Category:Burials at Laurel Hill Cemetery (Philadelphia)]]
[[Category:Continental Congressmen from Delaware]]
[[Category:Delaware lawyers]]
[[Category:Democratic-Republican Party state governors of the United States]]
[[Category:Founding Fathers of the United States]]
[[Category:Governors of Delaware]]
[[Category:Governors of Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Impeached state and territorial governors of the United States]]
[[Category:Members of the American Philosophical Society]]
[[Category:Members of the Delaware House of Representatives]]
[[Category:Members of the Middle Temple]]
[[Category:Pennsylvania Democratic-Republicans]]
[[Category:Pennsylvania Federalists]]
[[Category:Pennsylvania lawyers]]
[[Category:Pennsylvania militiamen in the American Revolution]]
[[Category:Politicians from Chester County, Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:People from New Castle, Delaware]]
[[Category:Politicians from Wilmington, Delaware]]
[[Category:People of Delaware in the American Revolution]]
[[Category:Politicians from Philadelphia]]
[[Category:Signatories of the Articles of Confederation]]
[[Category:Signatories of the Continental Association]]
[[Category:Signatories of the United States Declaration of Independence]]
[[Category:Supreme Court of Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Speakers of the Delaware General Assembly]]