Caesar Rodney and his Midnight Ride to Save a Young Nation

Caesar Rodney was born October 7, 1728, in Dover, Delaware. He worked his whole life in the local government and later that of the United States. He had many different jobs, starting off as the High Sheriff of King County Delaware. From there, he was sent as a delegate of Delaware to the Stamp Act Congress and the Second Continental Congress. He even served as President of Delaware for three years.

At times he served as a brigadier general in Washington’s Continental Army and signed his name to the Declaration of Independence. But because he was far away when the vote was occurring, he had to ride out in the dark like Paul Revere and arrived at Independence Hall at midnight. Today his legacy lives on, and he can be seen riding his horse still on the State Quarter of Delaware. Caesar Rodney died at the age of 55 at the end of June 1784.

References:

Encyclopedia Britannica. “Caesar Rodney.” https://www.britannica.com/biography/Caesar-Rodney (Accessed February 3, 2019).

US History. “Caesar Rodney.” http://www.ushistory.org/march/bio/rodney.htm (Accessed February 3, 2019).