Caesar Rodney

He was born on his family's farm near Dover, Delaware. He was educated at home; his father died when Caesar was 17 years old and he became a guardian of Nicholas Ridgely, and entered politics. Under the royal government, he became High Sheriff of Kent County, Delaware, and later was appointed to a series of positions including registrar of wills, recorder of deeds, clerk of the orphan's court, and justice of the peace. He was elected to the colonial legislature in 1758, and served there from 1758-70 and 1771-1776, when it was dissolved. He was a delegate to the Stamp Act Congress in 1765, a member of the Delaware Committee of Correspondence, and a leader in the militia, and was elected to the Continental Congress in 1774. He was President of the State of Delaware 1778-80 and a member of the Upper House of the State Assembly 1776-84, in which office he died.