CLYMER, kli'mer, GEORGE (1739-1813). An American patriot. one of the signers of the Dec laration of Independence and a prominent mem ber of the Constitutional Convention of 1787. Be was born in Philadelphia, was orphaned when only one year old, was educated at the College of Philadelphia (now the University of Pennsyl vania). and became a merchant in his native city. In 1772 he was appointed by Governor Penn to the position of 'Justice of the Court of General Quarter Sessions of the Peace, and of the County Court of Common Pleas of Philadel phia.' On the approach of the Revolutionary War, be became an active member of the patriot party, and was chosen successively a member of the Committee of Correspondence (1774) and of the Provincial Congress of Pennsylvania (1775). From July, 1775, to August, 1776, he served as one of the two treasurers of the Continental Con gress; from Oetober, 1775, to July, 1776, he was a leading member of the Pennsylvania Commit tee of Safety; and in July, 1776, he was one of the five men who were appointed by the Penn sylvania Legislature in place of the Pennsyl vania delegates who had opposed the Declara tion of Independence, which document he signed on August 2. He was a prominent member of the Constitutional Conventions of Pennsyl vania in 1776 and 1779; served as captain un der Cad•alader at the battle of Princeton ; was a member of the Pennsylvania .Assembly in 1777 and 1778; was reelected to the Continen tal Congress in March of 1778; was sent to Valley Forge by Congress as a special com missioner to inquire into the alleged maladmin istration of the Commissary Department; and in 1778 was one of the special commissioners sent by Congress to treat with the Indians at Fort Pitt (Pittsburg). In May,. 1780, he co
operated with Robert Morris and others in found ing the Bank of Pennsylvania to facilitate the furnishing of supplies to the army. and in both 1780 and 1781 he was reelected to the Continen tal Congress, by which in 1782 he, with Edward Rutledge, was sent as special commissioner to the Southern States, to secure the payment of funds due to the national treasury. From 17S2 to 17S5 he lived at Princeton, N. J., but re turned to Philadelphia in the latter year and from then until 1789 was an influential member of the Pennsylvania Assembly. He took a prom inent part in the Constitutional Convention of 1787; was a member of Congress from 1789 to 1791; was appointed by Washington in 1789 Su pervisor of the Internal Revenue for Pennsyl vania, in which capacity he was charged with the collection of the tax on spirits whieh brought on the Whisky Insurrection (q.v.) ; and in 1796 was one of the special commissioners appointed by Washington to treat with the Creeks and Cherokees in Georgia. Subsequently, though tak ing no further part in public life, lie took an active interest in public enterprises of various kinds, devoted much of his time to reading and study, and was president of the Philadelphia Bank and of the Academy of Fine Arts. He was one of the foremost leaders during the Revo lutionary period, and had a wide reputation for ability, learning, and patriotism. Consult Dick enson, in the Magazine of American History, vol. v. (New York, 1880).