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==Early life==

==Early life==

John was born in Ridley, Chester County [[Pennsylvania]], now called Delaware County. He was the great-grandson of [[Swedish]] immigrants. At a young age, John's father died and after his mother Mary Archer remarried he was raised by his [[English]] stepfather John Sketchley. John Morton was raised a farm boy and started out in surveying. In 1748 he married Ann Justis and they had eight children.

John was born in Ridley, Chester County [[Pennsylvania]], now called Delaware County. He was the great-grandson of [[Swedish]] immigrants. At a young age, John's father died and after his mother Mary Archer remarried he was raised by his [[English]] stepfather John Sketchley. John Morton was raised a farm boy and started out in surveying. In 1748 he married Ann Justis and they had eight children: Aaron, Sketchley, John, Mary, Sarah, Lydia, Ann and Elizabeth

==Politics==

==Politics==

He helped draft the Articles of Confederation with the Continental Congress but died before their final ratification.

He helped draft the Articles of Confederation with the Continental Congress but died before their final ratification.

==Death==

==Legacy==

Before signing, his sympathies were with the British. When he changed his mind for independence his friends, relatives, neighbors turned against him and it affected his health. Just eight short months after signing the Declaration he was dead. His last spoken words on his deathbed were, ''"Tell them they will live to see the hour when they shall acknowledge my signing of the Declaration of Independence to have been the most glorious service that I ever rendered my country."''  

Before signing, his sympathies were with the British. When he changed his mind for independence his friends, relatives, neighbors turned against him and it affected his health. Just eight short months after signing the Declaration he was dead. His last spoken words on his deathbed were, ''"Tell them they will live to see the hour when they shall acknowledge my signing of the Declaration of Independence to have been the most glorious service that I ever rendered my country."''  

John Morton was the first of the Signers to die<ref>[http://johnmorton.net/ John Morton, johnmorton.net]</ref> and was buried in St. Paul's Church Burial Ground in Chester, Pennsylvania.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=X6gpAQAAMAAJ&pg=RA1-PA16 ]</ref>  His grave went unmarked until 1845  when his descendants erected an obelisk to mark the location.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=HZ6KDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA169 Graves of Our Founders: Their Lives, Contributions, and Burial Sites]</ref>

John Morton was the first of the Signers to die<ref>[http://johnmorton.net/ John Morton, johnmorton.net]</ref> and was buried in St. Paul's Church Burial Ground in Chester, Pennsylvania.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=X6gpAQAAMAAJ&pg=RA1-PA16 The SAR Magazine, Volume 16

]</ref>  His grave went unmarked until 1845  when his descendants erected an obelisk to mark the location.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=HZ6KDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA169 Graves of Our Founders: Their Lives, Contributions, and Burial Sites]</ref>

 

 

==References==

==References==

{{reflist}}

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{{Declaration of Independence}}

{{Declaration of Independence}}