Joseph Hewes

Joseph Hewes (January 23, 1730 – November 10, 1779), was a native of Princeton, New Jersey, where he was born in 1730. Hewes’s parents were part of the Quaker Society of Friends. Immediately after their marriage they moved to New Jersey, which became Joseph Hewes’s home state. Hewes was formally educated at Princeton University and after college he became an apprentice to a merchant. After finishing his apprenticeship he earned himself a good name and a strong reputation, which helped him become one of the most famous signers of the Declaration of Independence for North Carolina, along with William Hooper and John Penn. After a few years as a successful merchant, he became very rich. Hewes moved to Edenton, North Carolina at the age of 30 and won over the people of the state with his charm and honorable businesslike character. Hewes was elected to the North Carolina legislature in 1763, only three years after he moved to the state. Second to the delegates of Massachusetts, Hewes was a pioneer of independence who influenced his state to be more rebellious during the years leading up to the American Revolution. After being re-elected many times to the legislature, Hewes focused on a new and more ambitious job as a Continental Congressman.