Overview
Joseph Hewes rose to prominence as a respected merchant and political leader in North Carolina. Known for his agreeable manner and public service, he represented Edenton in the North Carolina Assembly, served on the Committee of Correspondence, and took part in every session of the North Carolina Provincial Congress. He served in the Continental Congress, where he played a central role in naval affairs and supported independence. His heavy workload weakened his health, leading to his death in Philadelphia during the 1779 session of Congress.
Personal Facts
- Born: January 23, 1730, in Kingston, New Jersey.
- Parents: Aaron Hewes (father) and Providence Worth (mother).
- Spouse: None.
- Died: November 10, 1779, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 49 years old.
- Buried: Christ Church Burial Ground, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
- Part of: Signers of the Declaration of Independence.
Biography
Early Life
Joseph Hewes was born on January 23, 1730, on his family’s estate, “Maybury Hill,” near Princeton, New Jersey. His parents were Aaron and Providence Hewes, who raised him in the Quaker faith. After completing his education at the College of New Jersey, now Princeton University, he worked as an apprentice to a merchant in Philadelphia. He eventually started his own business and was a successful merchant.
Move to North Carolina
Around 1760, he moved to the seaport town of Edenton, North Carolina, where he built a successful shipping and trading business.
- He became engaged to Isabella Johnston, but she died days before their wedding, and he never married.
- Her brother was Samuel Johnston, who represented North Carolina in the Continental Congress and was elected to be the first President of the Confederation Congress; however, he declined the position. Thomas McKean was elected in his place.
North Carolina Politics
In Edenton, he was well-known and was held in high esteem by the town’s residents. In 1766, he started serving as the borough’s representative in the North Carolina Assembly and stayed in that position until the Royal Government ended in 1775.
American Revolution
As tensions with Great Britain rose, Hewes took an active role in the Patriot Cause in North Carolina.
- In 1773, Hewes was appointed to the Committee of Correspondence.
- He was elected to and participated in all five sessions of the North Carolina Provincial Congress.
- Hewes supported non-importation agreements, even though it hurt his business.
Hewes was elected to the First Continental Congress in 1774, along with Richard Caswell and William Hooper.
- During the first session of the Continental Congress, he supported the Continental Association, even though he knew it might hurt his personal fortune.
- Hewes severed his ties with the Quakers after they refused to support the Continental Congress; however, he is also said to have enjoyed dancing, which the Quakers frowned upon.
- Hewes served in Congress until 1777, when he lost his bid for reelection.
- A few days later, he turned down another chance to run because of poor health.
- He served in the North Carolina House of Commons in 1778, won another election to Congress in 1779, and died in Philadelphia during the session.
AHC Notes
- Richard Caswell (1729–1789) — Caswell was a prominent North Carolina Patriot who served as a delegate to the Continental Congress, presided over the 1776 North Carolina Provincial Congress that drafted the state constitution, and became the first Governor of North Carolina.
- William Hooper (1742–1790) — Hooper was a North Carolina politician who rose to prominence during the American Revolution. He represented North Carolina in the Continental Congress, where he signed the Articles of Association, supported independence, and signed the Declaration of Independence, making him a Founding Father.
Continental Navy
Hewes’s experience as a merchant and ship owner led him to an appointment on the Naval Committee, which was tasked with building and outfitting the Continental Navy.
- On October 5, 1775, Congress passed a resolution to arm four vessels.
- A committee was established, with seven members, including Hewes.
Hewes led the committee and is considered to be the first executive leader of the United States Navy. He also offered his own ships for use in the Navy. However, in this role, Hewes clashed with John Adams.
- Hewes nominated his friend John Paul Jones, an experienced seaman from Scotland who had recently moved to Virginia.
- Adams wanted all the captain positions to go to New Englanders, and pointed out that the region had compromised by accepting George Washington, a southerner, as the commander in chief of the Continental Army.
- Hewes reluctantly gave in, and Jones received a lieutenant’s commission.
Signer of the Declaration of Independence
In 1776, he spent the entire year in Philadelphia and served on the Secret Committee, the Committee on Claims, and the Committee of Thirteen, which drafted the Articles of Confederation.
In the early stages of the war, Hewes did not want a complete break with Great Britain and opposed independence. He wrote, saying: ‘We do not want to be independent; we want no revolution. But every American to a man is determined to die or be free.”
He supported resistance but hesitated to back independence, even though the North Carolina Provincial Congress asked him to present the Halifax Resolves to Congress in May 1776.
- The Fourth North Carolina Provincial Congress met in April 1776.
- On April 12, this Congress passed the Halifax Resolves, which made North Carolina the first colony to urge the Continental Congress to declare independence.
- The Resolves stated: “Resolved that the delegates for this Colony in the Continental Congress be empowered to concur with the other delegates of the other Colonies in declaring Independency, and forming foreign alliances, resolving to this Colony the sole, and exclusive right of forming a Constitution and Laws for this Colony and appointing delegates from time to time (under the direction of a general Representation thereof) to meet the delegates of the other Colonies for such purposes as shall be hereafter pointed out.”
Hewes believed the Resolves were premature, and he initially opposed the Lee Resolution’s call for independence. Despite this, he knew he would have to make a choice as Congress prepared to debate the issue. On June 28, 1776, he wrote to his friend, James Iredell, and said, “On Monday the great question of independence and Total Separation from all political intercourse with Great Britain will come on, it will be carried I expect by a great Majority and then I suppose we shall take upon us a New Name.”
Then, during the debate, Hewes was convinced to support independence. John Adams said that Hewes “started suddenly upright, and lifting up both his hands to Heaven, as if he had been in a trance, cried out, ‘It is done! and I will abide by it.’”
AHC Notes
- Some accounts indicate that Hewes helped write the Halifax Resolves.
- Some sources indicate that Hewes was involved in writing the Declarations and Resolves of the First Continental Congress (1774) and the Olive Branch Petition (1775).
Later Years
Hewes’s workload was extreme. He often worked 12 hours a day without stopping for food or drink, and it ruined his health. On November 10, 1779, he suddenly collapsed and died, becoming the only Signer to die while still a member of Congress.
- Hewes was buried in Christ Church Burial Ground in Philadelphia.
- A marker on the grounds commemorates him, but the exact location of his grave is unknown.
