Overview
Thomas Stone was a Maryland lawyer and moderate Patriot leader. As tensions with Great Britain increased, Stone’s support for the Patriot Cause increased. He studied law under Thomas Johnson, was admitted to the Maryland Bar in 1764, and built a successful practice near Port Tobacco. He served in the Maryland Convention and represented Maryland in the Continental Congress from May 1775 to October 1778, and in the Confederation Congress in 1784. Stone was part of the committee that drafted the Articles of Confederation, and he signed the Declaration of Independence. Chosen to serve at the Constitutional Convention, he declined due to his wife’s illness.
Personal Facts
- Born: 1743 in Charles County, Maryland.
- Parents: David Stone (father), Elizabeth Jenifer (mother).
- Spouse: Margaret Brown (1768).
- Died: October 5, 1787, in Alexandria, Virginia. He was 43 or 44.
- Buried: Thomas Stone National Historic Site in Charles County, Maryland.
- Part of: Signers of the Declaration of Independence.
Significance
Thomas Stone is important to American History for his role in the Patriot Cause in Maryland and his involvement in the American Revolution and the American Revolutionary War. Stone was a cautious Patriot who eventually helped push Maryland toward independence.
Biography
Early Years
Thomas Stone was born on Poynton Manor in Charles County, Maryland, in 1743. As a boy, he received a classical education and later moved to Annapolis, where he studied law in the office of Thomas Johnson. After he gained admission to the bar in 1764, he moved to Frederick, Maryland, to practice law.
Stone married Margaret Brown in 1768, and part of her £1,000 dowry may have helped him buy land near Port Tobacco in Charles County, Maryland. Around 1771, the family moved there and built “Haberdeventure,” which became known as one of Maryland’s finest examples of colonial architecture.
Maryland Poll Tax Controversy
In 1774, when a court tested whether a poll tax could support the Church of England, Stone served as one of the Sheriff’s lawyers who prosecuted Thomas Johnson, Samuel Chase, and William Paca, with whom he later worked in the Continental Congress.
Patriot Cause
Although Stone supported the Patriot Cause during the break with England, he usually favored a more conservative approach than many other representatives.
Stone took his seat in Congress on May 13, 1775, and served until October 1778, except for part of 1777 when he chose not to run again. His most significant work came in serving on the Committee of Thirteen that wrote the Articles of Confederation.
AHC Notes
- Articles of Confederation — The Articles of Confederation, proposed in 1777 and ratified in 1781, established the first constitution of the United States. It created a weak central government that left most powers to the states, reflecting the fear of a strong central government. Although it successfully guided the nation through the American Revolutionary War, its weaknesses in taxation, trade, and governance led to the drafting of the U.S. Constitution in 1787.
Declaration of Independence
A few days before the final vote on the Declaration of Independence, Maryland allowed its delegates to vote freely, and he voted in favor of independence and signed the document.
- Samuel Chase and William Paca joined Stone as Maryland’s signers of the Declaration of Independence.
- Stone is the least known of Maryland’s signers because he rarely spoke in Congress or in the Maryland Senate, and few of his letters survive.
AHC Notes
- Samuel Chase (1741–1811) — Chase was a Maryland lawyer, Patriot leader, member of the Annapolis Sons of Liberty, and a signer of the Declaration of Independence who later served as a U.S. Supreme Court Justice. He is most famous for being impeached in 1804, but he was acquitted of the charges.
- William Paca (1740–1799) — Paca was a Maryland politician who rose to prominence during the American Revolution as a member of the Annapolis Sons of Liberty. He signed the Articles of Association and the Declaration of Independence, making him a Founding Father.
Staten Island Peace Conference
Stone disliked the idea of war and, in September 1776, he supported the peace negotiations with Admiral Richard Howe at the Staten Island Peace Conference.
AHC Notes
- Staten Island Peace Conference (September 11, 1776) — A meeting between American delegates and British officials that explored the possibility of a diplomatic resolution to the American Revolutionary War. The meeting is known for the British refusing to recognize American independence, leading to a continuation of the war.
Post-War Career
Stone was elected to the Maryland Senate in 1776 for a five-year term and was reelected twice, representing Charles County in the first three Maryland Senates.
He served as one of Maryland’s commissioners assigned to meet with Virginia officials to settle jurisdiction over the Chesapeake Bay. He opposed the issuance of paper money and wrote to General George Washington for guidance. Washington replied on February 16, 1787, advising that he would firmly oppose such a policy and explaining his reasons.
The letter was later reprinted during the era of Wildcat Banking to show the first President’s views.
Stone was also elected to the Congress of the Confederation in 1783 and took his seat on March 26, 1784. He briefly served as President near the end of the session but declined to run for another term and returned to his law practice in Maryland.
Although Stone was appointed as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, he refused the position because his wife was seriously ill. She died in June 1787. Deeply affected by her death, he left his work and died four months later in Alexandria, Virginia, while waiting for a boat to take him to England.
AHC Notes
- Wildcat Banks — Popular in the 1830s, Wildcat Banks were unregulated state-chartered banks that issued their own paper money, which was not backed by gold or silver. These banks were often accused of investing in risky business ventures.
Accomplishments and Milestones
- 1743 — Thomas Stone was born in Charles County, Maryland.
- 1764 — Stone was admitted to the bar.
- 1768 — He married Margaret Brown.
- 1771 — Stone bought land near Port Tobacco and established a legal practice.
- 1774 — He prosecuted Thomas Johnson, Samuel Chase, and William Paca over poll taxes supporting the clergy.
- 1775, May 13 — Stone took his seat in the Second Continental Congress.
- 1775–1776 — He served in the Maryland Convention.
- 1776, September — Stone advocated peace talks with Admiral Richard Howe.
- 1776–1791 — He served in the Maryland Senate.
- 1777 — Stone declined re-election to Congress for part of the year.
- 1778, October — He left the Continental Congress.
- 1784, March 26 — Stone resumed his seat in the Confederation Congress.
- 1787, June — His wife, Margaret, died.
- 1787, October 5 — Stone died after being described as “melancholy” over the death of his wife.
AP US History (APUSH)
Alignment
Thomas Stone is part of the following units, topics, and chapters in the AP US History curriculum:
- The American Revolution (Unit 3.5)
- The Road to Revolution (1763–1775)
- America Secedes from the Empire (1775–1783)
Definition
Thomas Stone (1743–1787) — A Maryland lawyer and moderate Patriot leader, Thomas Stone studied law under Thomas Johnson, entered the bar in 1764, and built a successful practice near Port Tobacco. He served in the Maryland Convention and represented Maryland in the Continental Congress from May 13, 1775, to October 1778, returning on March 26, 1784. Stone signed the Declaration of Independence and urged negotiation with Admiral Richard Howe in September 1776. Chosen for the Constitutional Convention, he declined due to his wife’s illness.
