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Thomas McKean was a lifelong public servant, statesman, and jurist who helped shape early American government.

He was born on March 19, 1734, in Chester County, Pennsylvania, the son of an innkeeper and farmer. Though a Pennsylvanian by birth, McKean studied and practiced law in Delaware, where he held a number of public offices, including deputy attorney general, justice of the peace, and speaker of the colonial assembly.

In 1765, McKean represented Delaware at the Stamp Act Congress, opposing British economic policies. He later helped dissolve British control in Delaware and was elected to the Continental Congress, where he, along with Caesar Rodney, ensured Delaware supported independence.

McKean uniquely held office in both Delaware and Pennsylvania simultaneously and contributed to both states’ constitutions. In 1777, he became Chief Justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, serving for 22 years.

He also served as a colonel during the Revolutionary War, became President of the Continental Congress, and signed the Articles of Confederation. After the war, McKean helped secure Pennsylvania’s ratification of the U.S. Constitution. As a judge, he supported the principle of judicial review well before it was nationally established.

McKean later served three terms as governor of Pennsylvania, surviving political opposition and an attempted impeachment. At age 80, he helped organize a citizens group to defend Philadelphia during the War of 1812.

Thomas McKean died of natural causes in 1817.

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