ROBERT
TREAT PAINE was born in Boston on March 11, 1731. He could trace
his ancestry back to a colonial governor, an acting president of Harvard, and a
signer of the Mayflower Compact.His
father, Thomas, was pastor of a church in Weymouth for several years, but
because of impaired health, resigned and engaged in mercantile pursuits in
Boston.A bright, well-bred, popular
youngster, Robert Treat Paine studied for seven years at the Latin School, then
went on to Harvard College where he studied theology and law.However,
while still a student at Harvard,his father's business failed and upon
graduation in 1749, Paine had to teach in a country village – instead of
running the family business as he had expected.
Paine gave up teaching after one school term and for the next several years
drifted from one job to another – peddling goods, sailing aboard whaling
vessels, seeking fortune as a merchant, but he succeeded at none.He
read law for a while in the district of Maine, which was then a part of
Massachusetts.He acted as chaplain
of the troops on the northern frontier in 1755 and subsequently preached in the
pulpits of the regular clergy in Boston and vicinity.He
went back and studied law, supporting himself by teaching and was admitted to
the bar in 1757, two months after his twenty-sixth birthday.That
same week his father died, passing on to his son the remains of a still-failing
business.
He practiced law for a time in Boston and then removed himself to Taunton,
Massachusetts, where he did well.When
the Stamp Act was imposed, Paine opposed it with a fury and established himself
as a knowledgeable attorney.In
1768, he was a delegate to the convention that was called at Boston after the
dissolution of the general court by Sir Francis Bernard, governor of
Massachusetts, for refusing to rescind the circular letter to the other colonies
requesting them to act together for the public good. On March 15, 1770, he
married the daughter of a local tavern keeper, Sally Cobb, sister of General
David Cobb of the Revolution and they eventually had eight children.
Late in 1770 Robert Treat Paine came more prominently into public notice by
prosecuting with ability and ingenuity, the case against Captain Thomas Preston
and his men for firing on the inhabitants of Boston, March 5, 1770 (The Boston
Massacre).Lacking an attorney
general, he conducted the prosecution on the part of Britain. John Adams,
representing the defense, opposed Paine.
Paine was elected to the general assembly from Taunton, and the Continental
Congress in 1774. The Congress' duties at this time were to address the people
of America, petition the King, state their grievances, assert their rights, and
recommend the suspension of imports from Britain into the colonies.There
Paine admitted to his friends that he dreaded "the mad rage of unrestrained
liberty full as much as the arbitrary imposition of uncontrolled power."
At the Second Congress, Paine opposed almost every issue on the floor, and
earned himself the name of "The Objection Maker".He
was however, an unusually effective committeeman.He
had been regarded as a rather more moderate Patriot for he was not entirely
hopeless of reconciliation with Britain, as his signing the "Olive Branch
Petition' had shown.In July 1776,
however, he was resolute in support of the Declaration.
Paine was a member of
Congress again in 1777 and 1778; during the intervals of the sessions he filled
several important offices in the state of Massachusetts. In 1780, he was called
to take a part in the deliberations of the convention, which met for the purpose
of forming a constitution for the commonwealth. He was appointed attorney
general, an office that he held until 1790, when he was appointed to the supreme
judicial court where he remained till 1804 when he was 73 years old and became
too deaf to serve.
Paine was a founder of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, established in
Massachusetts in 1780, and was active in it until his death. The honorary degree
of Doctor of Laws was given to him by Harvard University in 1805. He died May
11, 1814 at 84 years old.
A
partly printed Document signed on reverse "Paine."A
judgment against the Estate of Elizabeth Robinson of Swanzy, County of Bristol,
dated April 12, 1767, where Paine was practicing law at the time
We invite you to read a transcription
of the complete text of the Declaration as presented by the National Archives.
&
The article "The
Declaration of Independence: A History,"
which provides a detailed account of the Declaration, from its drafting through
its preservation today at the National Archives.
Virtualology welcomes
the addition of web pages with historical documents and/or scholarly papers on
this subject.To submit a web link
to this pageCLICK
HERE.Please be sure to
include the above name, your name, address, and any information you deem
appropriate with your submission.
Unauthorized Site:
This site and its contents are not affiliated, connected,
associated with or authorized by the individual, family,
friends, or trademarked entities utilizing any part or
the subject's entire name. Any official or affiliated
sites that are related to this subject will be hyper
linked below upon submission
and Evisum, Inc. review.
