Clymer, George

Clymer, George (1739-1813), a Philadelphia merchant and politician, was one of six people who signed both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States. He represented Pennsylvania at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787. Clymer later helped win ratification (approval) of the Constitution in Pennsylvania.

Clymer was born on March 16, 1739, in Philadelphia. By the early 1770’s, he had become a successful merchant there. Clymer also became a leader among Pennsylvanians who supported a movement in the American Colonies for independence from Britain. After the Revolutionary War in America began in 1775, he helped finance and supply American armies. Clymer also served in the Second Continental Congress, which approved the Declaration of Independence in 1776.

From 1785 to 1788, Clymer served in the Pennsylvania legislature. He became a Pennsylvania member of the first U.S. House of Representatives, serving from 1789 to 1791. Clymer also was a founder and president of both the Philadelphia Bank and the Philadelphia Academy of Fine Arts. He died on Jan. 23, 1813.