Hopkins, Stephen (1707-1785), an American statesman, was a Rhode Island signer of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. Beginning in 1732, Hopkins served several terms in the Rhode Island Legislature. He became chief justice of the Superior Court of Rhode Island in 1751 and, in 1755, was elected the colony’s governor. Hopkins wrote an important pamphlet called “The Rights of Colonies Examined” (1765), which criticized British policy in the American Colonies. He also headed major committees that opposed British colonial measures. From 1774 to 1776, he was a delegate to two Continental Congresses. Hopkins was born on March 7, 1707, in Providence, Rhode Island. He died on July 13, 1785.
