Wikijunior:American Founding Fathers/John Witherspoon

Who is this?

John Witherspoon

John Knox Witherspoon

What did he do that made him important?

John Witherspoon signed the declaration of independence. He was a representative from New Jersey.

What did he do when he was young?

John Witherspoon was born on February 15, 1723 in Scotland. He attended and graduated from Haddington Grammar School with a Master of Arts. He eventually became president of Princeton University in Princeton, New Jersey.

What did he do afterward?

He suffered from eye injuries and was blind by 1792. He died in 1794 on his farm Tusculum, just outside of Princeton, and is buried in the Princeton Cemetery. He was 71 years old when he died.