Signer of Declaration of Independence - II

Connecticut sent four men to the second Continental Congress:  Roger Sherman, Samuel Huntington, Oliver Wolcott, & William William.  Even though only two were present on July 4th, all four eventually signed it.  It took almost six months before the document contained all 56 signatures.  Here is Samuel Huntington's story:

Samuel Huntington (July 3, 1731 - Jan 9, 1796):  Born in now Scotland, CT, he started his adult life as a copper and farmer.  Self-educated, he successfully read for the bar in 1754.  He started his political career as selectman of Norwich, CT.  In 1764 he was elected to the lower house of the CT assembly where he served for 10 years before being elected to the upper house, the Governor's Council, where he served for 9 years.  He was also the King's Attorney, eventually serving as Chief Justice of the Superior Court.  An outspoken critic of the Coercive Acts, he was selected as a delegate to the Second Continental Congress.  He was present and voted for the adoption of the Declaration of Independence.  A quiet thoughtful man, he was highly respected by his peers and elected President of the Continental Congress twice.  He was President when the Articles of Confederation went into effect in 1781, thus making him technically the First President of the United States.  Smallpox forced him to leave Congress but he was able to return in time for the signing of the Treaty of Paris.  In 1785, he was elected Lieutenant Governor of CT and the next year became Governor, a position he held till his death in 1796.  During his tenure, he helped broker the Treaty of Hartford which resolved western land claims between NY & MA.  In 1788, he presided over the Connecticut Convention which ratified the US Constitution.  He also negotiated Hartford becoming the permanent State capital.  He was not known as a great orator but instead as a hard working man with a calm manner.  Through his hard work, Huntington helped guide the Colony of Connecticut into the State of Connecticut.