Read, << reed, >> George (1733-1798), a lawyer and statesman from Delaware, was one of six people who signed both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States. At the Constitutional Convention of 1787, Read was a chief spokesman for the interests of small states, such as Delaware. He also supported the establishment of a strong presidency. Read led the movement for ratification (approval) of the Constitution by Delaware.
Read was born near North East in Cecil County, Maryland, on Sept. 18, 1733. Soon after his birth, his family moved to New Castle in the Delaware region. In 1754, Read began practicing law in New Castle. He served as attorney general of Delaware from 1763 to 1774, and as a state legislator from 1765 until about 1777. Read served in the First and Second Continental Congresses from 1774 to 1777. He first voted against the Declaration of Independence, but he eventually signed the document.
Read served as a United States senator from 1789 to 1793. In 1793, he was appointed chief justice of the Delaware Supreme Court. He held this position until his death on Sept. 21, 1798.
