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John Witherspoon by Rembrandt Peale –

Top 10 Facts about John Witherspoon

John Witherspoon was a Scottish-American Presbyterian minister, educator, farmer, slaveholder, and Founding Father of the United States. Witherspoon embraced the concepts of Scottish common sense realism, and while president of the College of New Jersey from 1768 to 1794; now Princeton University, he became an influential figure in the development of the United States national character. 

Politically active, Witherspoon was a delegate from New Jersey to the Second Continental Congress and a signatory to the July 4, 1776, Declaration of Independence. He was the only active clergyman and the only college president to sign the Declaration. Later, he signed the Articles of Confederation and supported the ratification of the Constitution of the United States.

Witherspoon became prominent within the Church as an Evangelical opponent of the Moderate Party. During his two pastorates, he wrote three well-known works on theology, notably the satire Ecclesiastical Characteristics in 1753, which opposed the philosophical influence of Francis Hutcheson.

Here are the top 10 facts about John Witherspoon.

1. Witherspoon was the only clergyman to sign the Declaration of Independence

Witherspoon’s father was a minister at the Church of Scotland, and John set out to follow in his father’s footsteps. He became the head of the newly formed Presbyterian Church in America. 

Witherspoon always perceived that religion and politics were intertwined, so it was natural for him to get involved in politics as well. Witherspoon stood for a limited government because he believed that righteous people did not need to be directly governed. In his eyes, the role of the government was just to protect the rights of the people.

2. Witherspoon was awarded an honorary doctoral degree in divinity 

A reproduction of an image of John Witherspoon –

Witherspoon was born in Yester, Scotland, as the eldest child of the Reverend James Alexander Witherspoon and Anne Walker, a descendant of John Welsh of Ayr and John Knox. This latter claim of Knox descent though ancient in origin is long disputed and without primary documentation. 

Witherspoon attended the Haddington Grammar School and obtained a Master of Arts from the University of Edinburgh in 1739. He remained at the university to study divinity. In 1764, he was awarded an honorary doctoral degree in divinity by the University of St Andrews.

3. Witherspoon went to College at the age of 13

Witherspoon was very bright and considered quite advanced for his age. At 13, he was accepted into the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. While there, he studied Philosophy, Latin, Greek, and Logic. 

Not only did he get into college early, but he also graduated in only three years. At the age of 16, Witherspoon graduated with a Master of Arts degree. He then studied theology at the University of Edinburgh and got a license to preach in 1743.

4. Witherspoon was the sixth president of Princeton University

Statue of John Witherspoon on Connecticut Avenue in Washington by dbking –

Upon his arrival, Witherspoon found the school in debt, with weak instruction, and a library collection which clearly failed to meet student needs. He immediately began fund-raising, locally and back home in Scotland. He added three hundred of his own books to the library and began purchasing scientific equipment including the Rittenhouse orrery, many maps, and a terrestrial globe. 

Witherspoon instituted numerous reforms, including modelling the syllabus and university structure after that used at the University of Edinburgh and other Scottish universities. He also firmed up entrance requirements, which helped the school compete with Harvard and Yale for scholars.

5. Witherspoon became a major leader of the early Presbyterian Church in America

Witherspoon had been a prominent evangelical Presbyterian minister in Scotland before accepting the Princeton position. As the college’s primary occupation at the time was training ministers, 

Witherspoon became a major leader of the early Presbyterian Church in America. He helped organize Nassau Presbyterian Church in Princeton, New Jersey. Witherspoon transformed a college designed predominantly to train clergymen into a school that would equip the leaders of a new country. 

6. Witherspoon was a staunch Protestant, nationalist, and supporter of republicanism

John Witherspoon –

Republicanism is a political ideology centered on citizenship in a state organized as a republic. Historically, it emphasizes the idea of self-rule and ranges from the rule of a representative minority or oligarchy to popular sovereignty.

It has had different definitions and interpretations which vary significantly based on historical context and methodological approach. Consequently, Witherspoon was opposed to the Roman Catholic Legitimist Jacobite rising from 1745 to 1746. 

7. John Witherspoon was a political and religious writer

During his two pastorates, he wrote three well-known works on theology, notably the satire Ecclesiastical Characteristics in 1753, which opposed the philosophical influence of Francis Hutcheson.

At first, the pamphlet was published anonymously, but when the public learned Witherspoon wrote the pamphlet, he gained popularity. Witherspoon wrote many other works on the topics of politics and religion, including pamphlets, essays, and sermons.

8. Witherspoon took an active political role in the war of Independence

Richard Stockton, Francis Lewis and John Witherspoon in Declaration of Independence by John Trumbull –

Witherspoon backed America in the Revolutionary war from the beginning. From 1775 to 1776, Witherspoon presided over the Somerset Committee of Correspondence. He was also a member of two different provincial congresses and a representative on the Continental Congress from 1776 to 1779, and from 1780 to 1782. 

Witherspoon helped draft the Articles of Confederation, which acted as the first American Constitution. He even opened one of his College’s halls to house the Continental Congress for four months while the official halls were being repaired.

9. Witherspoon served in Congress from June 1777 until November 1784

John Witherspoon became one of its most influential members and a workhorse of prodigious energy. He served on over 10,000 committees, most notably the sitting committees, the board of peace and the committee on public correspondence or common affairs. 

Witherspoon spoke often in concurrence; helped draft the Articles of Confederation; helped organize the executive departments; played a major role in shaping public policy, and drew up the instructions for the peace commissioners. He fought against the flood of paper money and opposed the issuance of bonds without provision for their amortization.

10. Witherspoon served twice in the New Jersey Legislature

The New Jersey Legislature is the legislative branch of the government of the U.S. state of New Jersey. In its current form, as defined by the New Jersey Constitution of 1947, the Legislature consists of two houses: the General Assembly and the Senate. 

Witherspoon served twice in the New Jersey Legislature and strongly supported the adoption of the United States Constitution during the New Jersey ratification debates. In 1780 he was elected to a one-year term in the New Jersey Legislative Council representing Somerset County.