William Paca
William Paca joined Maryland's revolutionary leadership in the Continental Congress of 1774-1776, signed the Declaration, and later carried that authority into the governorship and federal bench.
Born October 31, 1740 / Died October 23, 1799
On October 31, 1740, in Abingdon, Province of Maryland, William Paca was born into a prosperous family on the Eastern Shore. He studied at the College of Philadelphia, read law at the Middle Temple in London, and returned to Annapolis to build a successful practice. Those credentials made him a natural leader in Maryland's protest politics as imperial conflict intensified.
Paca served in the Continental Congress, signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776, and remained active in Maryland's revolutionary government throughout the war. He later became governor of Maryland from 1782 to 1785, helping guide the state through postwar adjustment and confederation politics. In 1789 George Washington appointed him judge of the United States District Court for Maryland, linking his career directly to the new federal judiciary.
Paca's public life bridged the Declaration, state executive power, and the constitutional court system created after ratification. His appointment in 1789 made him one of the founders whose Revolutionary authority flowed straight into the institutions of federal law.
Key Contributions
- He gained ownership of the property in Queen Anne's County, Maryland, through his wife, Mary Chew.
- John Beale Bordley and Margaret Chew inherited the other half of Wye Island.
- William Paca died on October 23, 1799.
Related Events
Declaration of Independence adopted
On July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress approved Thomas Jefferson's Declaration of Independence and ordered the document printed as the public case for separation.
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