George
Read was born in
Cecil County, Maryland, to John and Mary (Howell) Read.
Shortly after his birth his family moved to New Castle, Delaware.
He attended school in Pennsylvania and studied law in Philadelphia,
being admitted to the bar in 1753. Read
had his home and legal practice in New Castle. He earned a reputation as an
honest and distinguished lawyer. In 1763 he
married Gertrude (Ross) Till. They had a daughter and
four sons. Read strongly opposed the new British taxes imposed by the
British beginning in 1765. In
1769, he was prominent in securing a non-importation agreement against
Britain to protest the acts. As a member of the Continental Congress, Read
refused to vote for independence. But
when the resolution for independence passed, he not only signed, but also
supported the Declaration of Independence. Afterwards he was prominent in drafting the
Delaware State Constitution and active in state government, serving for a
time as acting president (governor) of Delaware.
Read was also a member of the 1787 Constitutional Convention.
During the Convention, he spoke often in defense of the rights of
the small states. He was
instrumental in getting Delaware to be the first state to ratify the new
Constitution. Read
served as one of Delaware’s first United States senators.
George
Read