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| | McKean's first political office was deputy Attorney General to Sussex County in 1756. In 1757, appointed clerk of the Assembly of Delaware, then elected as a delegate. He would serve as trustee of the loan office. In 1772, he was chosen Speaker of the Assembly of Delaware. In 1775, a delegate to the Stamp Act Congress. During Congressional session of 1776, he was a member of the committee to state the rights of the colonies as well as a member of the secret committee to contract for the importation of arms.<ref>[http://virtualology.com/declarationofindependence/ThomasMcKean.com/ Thomas McKean, Virtuology.com]</ref> McKean was adamant that the British King had no standing with the colonies, "no right to regulate American affairs in any way." | | McKean's first political office was deputy Attorney General to Sussex County in 1756. In 1757, appointed clerk of the Assembly of Delaware, then elected as a delegate. He would serve as trustee of the loan office. In 1772, he was chosen Speaker of the Assembly of Delaware. In 1775, a delegate to the Stamp Act Congress. During Congressional session of 1776, he was a member of the committee to state the rights of the colonies as well as a member of the secret committee to contract for the importation of arms.<ref>[http://virtualology.com/declarationofindependence/ThomasMcKean.com/ Thomas McKean, Virtuology.com]</ref> McKean was adamant that the British King had no standing with the colonies, "no right to regulate American affairs in any way." |
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| − | A few days after signing the Declaration of Independence, he left Congress to serve as colonel in command of the Fourth Battalion of the ''Pennsylvania Associators'',<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=bjpeYo0WY3wC&pg=PA98 Register of Members and Miscellaneous Statistical Information Concerning the Pennsylvania Society of Sons of the Revolution]</ref> to assist [[George Washington]] at Perth Amboy, New Jersey. The ''Associators'' were militia troops assembled by [[Benjamin Franklin]] in 1747. | + | A few days after signing the Declaration of Independence, he left Congress to serve as colonel in command of the Fourth Battalion of the ''Pennsylvania Associators'',<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=bjpeYo0WY3wC&pg=PA98 Register of Members and Miscellaneous Statistical Information Concerning the Pennsylvania Society of Sons of the Revolution]</ref> to assist [[George Washington]] at Perth Amboy, New Jersey. The ''Associators'' were militia troops assembled by [[Benjamin Franklin]] in 1747. McKean served as President of Congress beginning in 1781, after [[Samuel Huntington (signer)|Samuel Huntington]] resigned for health reasons.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=iXNkR7v0pigC&pg=PA7269 Congressional Record: Proceedings and Debates of the Congress]</ref> After the Surrender of Cornwallis at the [[Battle of Yorktown]], McKean worked to pass resolutions thanking the Continental Army for their service and bravery.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=WcsABAAAQBAJ&pg=PA264 Victory at Yorktown: The Campaign That Won the Revolution]</ref><ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=rWwFAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA158 The Yorktown Campaign and the Surrender of Cornwallis, 1781]</ref> |
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| − | McKean served as President of Congress beginning in 1781, after [[Samuel Huntington (signer)|Samuel Huntington]] resigned for health reasons.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=iXNkR7v0pigC&pg=PA7269 Congressional Record: Proceedings and Debates of the Congress]</ref> After the Surrender of Cornwallis at the [[Battle of Yorktown]], McKean worked to pass resolutions thanking the Continental Army for their service and bravery.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=WcsABAAAQBAJ&pg=PA264 Victory at Yorktown: The Campaign That Won the Revolution]</ref><ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=rWwFAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA158 The Yorktown Campaign and the Surrender of Cornwallis, 1781]</ref>
| + | While acting in the double capacity as President of Delaware and Chief Justice of Pennsylvania, he wrote [[John Adams]], |
| − | While acting in the double capacity as President of Delaware and Chief Justice of Pennsylvania, he wrote [[John Adams]],
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| | {{cquote|hunted like a fox by the enemy, compelled to remove my family five times in three months, and at last fixed them in a little log-house on the banks of the Susquehanna, but they were soon obliged to move again on account of the incursions of the Indians.}} | | {{cquote|hunted like a fox by the enemy, compelled to remove my family five times in three months, and at last fixed them in a little log-house on the banks of the Susquehanna, but they were soon obliged to move again on account of the incursions of the Indians.}} |