Wikijunior:American Founding Fathers/Abraham Baldwin

Who is this?

Abraham Baldwin

What did he do that made him important?

Abraham Baldwin was an American politician, Patriot, and Founding Father from the U.S. state of Georgia. Baldwin was a Georgia representative in the Continental Congress and served in the United States House of Representatives and Senate after the adoption of the Constitution.

What did he do when he was young?

Abraham Baldwin was born at Guilford, Connecticut. After attending a local village school, Abraham graduated from Yale University in nearby New Haven in 1772. Three years later, he became a minister and tutor at the college. He held that position until 1779.

What did he do afterward?

After the convention (1787 - 1789), Baldwin was elected to the U.S. Congress, where he served for 18 years. He served in the House of Representatives for 10 years and in the senate for 8 years. During these years he became an ally of Madison and Jefferson and the Democratic-Republicans. In the Senate, he presided for a year as President pro tempore.

How do we remember him today?

Baldwin died after a short illness when he was 53 years old in 1807. Still serving in the Senate at the time, he was buried in Washington's Rock Creek Cemetery. Baldwin County, Alabama, Baldwin County, Georgia, and Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (ABAC) in southern Georgia are all named after him.