John Adams was in York in that crucial winter of 1777-78. But where was Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin and George Washington? Background posts: John Adams changed mind about York, Who were those congressional visitors to York, anyway? and Declaration signer's marker mounted in obscurity.
A Philadelphia Inquirer story on the fact that only half of Thomas Jefferson's 20,000 letters have been published prompted a good question.
A York Daily Record/Sunday News staff member wondered: Did Thomas Jefferson write any letters from York as part of Continental Congress in the winter of 1777-78?
The short answer is: Thomas Jefferson wasn't one of the 64 members of congress meeting in York from Sept. 30, 1777 to June 27, 1778... .
He was home in Virginia. He chose to be closer to his family and work on the patriot cause from that vantage point. Simply put, serving in Continental Congress on the edge of the frontier in York County over a long winter was no plum assignment.
And Benjamin Franklin wasn't here either. He was in Paris, urging the French government to become American allies.
And neither was George Washington. He stuck with the Continental Army in Valley Forge.
So, who was here?
John and Samuel Adams, John Hancock and Robert Morris were the top luminaries on the list, though none of the four stayed in York any longer than they needed to. The Adamses and Hancock headed home after it was clear the Articles of Confederation, the most significant accomplishment during Congress' British-imposed exile from Philadelphia, would be adopted.
For a full accounting of all 64 delegates serving in York, the following are excerpts from my "Nine Months in York Town":
1. John Adams
1735-1826
Lawyer
Massachusetts
Signer, Declaration of Independence
2. Samuel Adams
1722-1803
Merchant, political leader
Massachusetts
Signer, Articles of Confederation
Signer, Declaration of Independence
3. Thomas Adams
1730-1788
Merchant
Virginia
Signer, Articles of Confederation
4. John Banister
1734-1788
Lawyer, legislator
Virginia
Signer, Articles of Confederation
5. Josiah Bartlett
1729-1795
Physician, judge
New Hampshire
Signer, Articles of Confederation
Signer, Declaration of Independence
6. Nathan Brownson
1742-1796
Physician
Georgia
7. Thomas Burke
1747-1783
Physician, lawyer
North Carolina
8. Charles Carroll
1737-1832
Lawyer
Maryland
Signer, Declaration of Independence
9. Samuel Chase
1741-1811
Judge
Maryland
Signer, Declaration of Independence
10. Abraham Clark
1726-1794
Surveyor, farmer
New Jersey
Signer, Declaration of Independence
11. William Clingan
? -1790
Justice of the peace
Pennsylvania
Signer, Articles of Confederation
12. John Collins
1717-1795
Legislator
Rhode Island
Signer, Articles of Confederation
13. Francis Dana
1743-1811
Attorney, diplomat
Massachusetts
Signer, Articles of Confederation
14. William Henry Drayton
1742-1779
Planter, judge
South Carolina
Signer, Articles of Confederation
15. James Duane
1733-1797
Lawyer
New York
Signer, Articles of Confederation
16. William Duer
1747-1799
Merchant, financier
New York
Signer, Articles of Confederation
17. Eliphalet Dyer
1721-1807
Lawyer, jurist
Connecticut
18. William Ellery
1727-1820
Lawyer
Rhode Island
Signer, Articles of Confederation
Signer, Declaration of Independence
19. Jonathan Elmer
1745-1817
Physician, legislator, jurist
New Jersey
20. Nathaniel Folsom
1726-1790
Soldier, politician
New Hampshire
21. James Forbes
c. 1731-1780
Justice of the peace
Maryland
22. George Frost
1720-1796
Sea captain, judge
New Hampshire
23. Elbridge Gerry
1744-1814
Merchant
Massachusetts
Signer, Articles of Confederation
Signer, Declaration of Independence
24. John Hancock
1737-1793
Merchant
Massachusetts
Signer, Articles of Confederation
Signer, Declaration of Independence
25. Cornelius Harnett
1723-1781
Legislator
North Carolina
Signer, Articles of Confederation
26. Benjamin Harrison
1726-1791
Farmer
Virginia
Signer, Declaration of Independence
27. John Harvie
1742-1807
Financier, lawyer
Virginia
Signer, Articles of Confederation
28. John Henry Jr.
1750-1798
Lawyer
Maryland
29. Thomas Heyward Jr.
c. 1746 -1809
Lawyer, farmer
South Carolina
Signer, Articles of Confederation
Signer, Declaration of Independence
30. Samuel Holten
1738-1816
Physician, public official
Massachusetts
Signer, Articles of Confederation
31. Titus Hosmer
1736-1780
Attorney
Connecticut
Signer, Articles of Confederation
32. Samuel Huntington
1731-1796
Judge
Connecticut
Signer, Articles of Confederation
Signer, Declaration of Independence
33. Richard Hutson
1748-1795
Judge
South Carolina
Signer, Articles of Confederation
34. Joseph Jones
1727-1805
Lawyer, legislator
Virginia
35. Edward Langworthy
1738-1802
Schoolmaster
Georgia
Signer, Articles of Confederation
36. Henry Laurens
1724-1792
Merchant, planter
South Carolina
Signer, Articles of Confederation
37. Richard Law
1733-1806
Lawyer, judge
Connecticut
38. Francis Lightfoot Lee
1734-1797
Farmer
Virginia
Signer, Articles of Confederation
Signer, Declaration of Independence
39. Richard Henry Lee
1732-1794
Farmer
Virginia
Signer, Articles of Confederation
Signer, Declaration of Independence
40. Francis Lewis
1713-1803
Merchant
New York
Signer, Articles of Confederation
Signer, Declaration of Independence
41. Philip Livingston
1716-1778
Merchant
New York
Signer, Declaration of Independence
42. James Lovell
1737-1814
Schoolmaster
Massachusetts
Signer, Articles of Confederation
43. Henry Marchant
1741-1796
Lawyer, judge
Rhode Island
Signer, Articles of Confederation
44. John Mathews
1734-1801
Lawyer
South Carolina
Signer, Articles of Confederation
45. Thomas McKean
1734-1817
Lawyer, judge
Delaware
Signer, Articles of Confederation
Signer, Declaration of Independence
46. Arthur Middleton
1742-1787
Farmer
South Carolina
Signer, Declaration of Independence
47. Gouverneur Morris
1752-1816
Lawyer, diplomat
New York
Signer, Articles of Confederation
48. Robert Morris
1734-1806
Merchant
Pennsylvania
Signer, Articles of Confederation
Signer, Declaration of Independence
49. John Penn
1741-1788
Lawyer
North Carolina
Signer, Articles of Confederation
Signer, Declaration of Independence
50. George Plater
1735-1792
Lawyer, judge
Maryland
51. Joseph Reed
1741-1785
Lawyer, soldier
Pennsylvania
Signer, Articles of Confederation
52. Daniel Roberdeau
1727-1795
Merchant
Pennsylvania
Signer, Articles of Confederation
53. Benjamin Rumsey
1734-1808
Judge
Maryland
54. Nathaniel Scudder
1733-1781
Physician
New Jersey
Signer, Articles of Confederation
55. Roger Sherman
1721-1793
Lawyer
Connecticut
Signer, Articles of Confederation
Signer, Declaration of Independence
56. James Smith
c. 1713/1719-1806
Lawyer
Pennsylvania
Signer, Declaration of Independence
57. Jonathan Bayard Smith
1742-1812
Merchant
Pennsylvania
Signer, Articles of Confederation
58. William Smith
1728-1814
Merchant
Maryland
59. George Walton
c. 1749/1750-1804
Judge
Georgia
Signer, Declaration of Independence
60. John Wentworth Jr.
1745-1787
Lawyer
New Hampshire
Signer, Articles of Confederation
61. William Williams
1731-1811
Merchant
Connecticut
Signer, Declaration of Independence
62. John Witherspoon
1723-1794
Clergyman,
educator
New Jersey
Signer, Articles of Confederation
Signer, Declaration of Independence
63. Oliver Wolcott
1726-1797
Judge
Connecticut
Signer, Articles of Confederation
Signer, Declaration of Independence
64. Joseph Wood
1712-1791
Planter
Georgia
(Painting courtesy of York County Heritage Trust. To see a lineup of 15 similar paintings of other patriots, see: 20 questions answered about York County and the American Revolution.
For scores of posts on York County and the Revolutionary War, see this blog's American Revolutioncategory.
One of Charles Carroll's descendants was Samuel S. Carroll, who led a Union brigade at the Battle of Gettysburg that helped repulse two of the Confederate brigades that had occupied York in late June 1863.
Great observation. Short, snappy, sweet. Apparently, also, Jefferson and Jay could seldom appear in the same place at the same time.