Paca, << PAY kuh, >> William (1740-1799), a Maryland signer of the Declaration of Independence, took part in many American political movements from 1771 until his death. He served in the Continental Congress from 1774 to 1779, and was governor of Maryland from 1782 to 1785. President George Washington appointed him judge of the Court for Maryland in 1789, a post he held until his death.
Paca was born on Oct. 31, 1740, near Abingdon, Maryland. He attended what is now the University of Pennsylvania and studied law at Annapolis, Maryland, and in London. He died on Oct. 13, 1799.
