John Collins (June 8, 1717March 4, 1795), was an American politician and a
Founding Father of the United States
The Founding Fathers of the United States, known simply as the Founding Fathers or Founders, were a group of late-18th-century American revolutionary leaders who united the Thirteen Colonies, oversaw the war for independence from Great Britai ...
who, as a member of the
Continental Congress, signed the
Articles of Confederation. He was the
third governor of the U.S. state of
Rhode Island
Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area and the seventh-least populous, with slightly fewer than 1.1 million residents as of 2020, but it ...
from 1786 to 1790.
Early life
Born in
Newport in the
Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, he was the son of Samuel and Elizabeth Collins.
Political life
He stood forth as a staunch advocate of the independence of the
Thirteen Colonies
The Thirteen Colonies, also known as the Thirteen British Colonies, the Thirteen American Colonies, or later as the United Colonies, were a group of British colonies on the Atlantic coast of North America. Founded in the 17th and 18th cent ...
. An admirer of
George Washington
George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of ...
, he was selected by the governor of Rhode Island in 1776 to carry a letter to Washington informing him of the condition of the colony and soliciting counsel upon the best method to adopt for its defense. In 1778, Collins represented Rhode Island in the
Second Continental Congress, where he served until May 1781, when he was superseded by
William Ellery
William Ellery (December 22, 1727 – February 15, 1820) was a Founding Father of the United States, one of the 56 signers of the United States Declaration of Independence, and a signer of the Articles of Confederation as a representative of Rho ...
. He was, however, re-elected in 1782 and held the position until 1783.
In 1782, he was made bearer to the
President of Congress of a statement of Rhode Island's reasons for rejecting the Impost Act. During the
American Revolution
The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revoluti ...
, Rhode Island was for the most part an agricultural area, and as such opposed the restrictions of a national government. The state's agricultural interests vigorously advocated a paper currency. Collins espoused their cause and in 1786 was elected governor. During his term in office, the issuance of paper money, which had been ceased at intervals since 1750, was resumed. It was provided by law that should any creditor refuse to accept the bills of the state the debtor might secure a discharge by depositing the amount of his debt with one of the judges of the state superior court or the court of common pleas. This law led to the suit of ''
Trevett vs. Weeden'', which resulted in a decision looking toward the right of courts to declare legislative enactments unconstitutional.
[Richman, I. B., ''Rhode Island, A Study in Separatism'', 1905, pp. 78–81.]
Rhode Island's ratification of the U.S. Constitution
When Washington was inaugurated as
President of the United States
The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States ...
on April 30, 1789, Rhode Island was one of only two of the thirteen original states (along with
North Carolina
North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and ...
) not to have ratified the United States Constitution and was, technically speaking, an independent nation with Collins as it chief of state.
Anti-Federalist
Anti-Federalism was a late-18th century political movement that opposed the creation of a stronger U.S. federal government and which later opposed the ratification of the 1787 Constitution. The previous constitution, called the Articles of Con ...
elements in Rhode Island vigorously fought against the calling of a convention to decide upon entering the Federal Union, but on January 17, 1790, gave its sanction to such a call by a majority of one vote in the General Assembly. This vote was cast by Collins, who had come to realize the importance of a Federal connection. The vote cost him his popularity and the governorship. He left office on May 5, 1790. The Rhode Island General Assembly ratified the
United States Constitution on May 29. Later in 1790, Collins was elected to the
1st Congress but did not take his seat.
Personal life
Collins was married to Mary, daughter of John Avery of Boston, and his daughter Abigail married
John Warren John Warren may refer to:
Medicine
* John Warren (surgeon) (1753–1815), American surgeon during the Revolutionary War
* John Collins Warren (1778–1856), American surgeon
* John Collins Warren Jr. (1842–1927), American surgeon, son of John C ...
. Collins died at Newport and was buried on his farm, "
Brenton Neck", near Brenton Point in that city. His grandson and
namesake
A namesake is a person, geographic location, or other entity bearing the name of another.
History
The word is first attested around 1635, and probably comes from the phrase "for one's name's sake",
which originates in English Bible translations ...
,
John Collins Covell (1823–1887), was a principal of the
Virginia School for the Deaf and the Blind
The Virginia School for the Deaf and the Blind, located in Staunton, Virginia, United States, is an institution for educating deaf and blind children, first established in 1839 by an act of the Virginia General Assembly. The school accepts chil ...
and
West Virginia Schools for the Deaf and Blind
The West Virginia Schools for the Deaf and the Blind (WVSDB) were established by an Act of the Legislature on March 3, 1870. The School for the Deaf and the School for the Blind offer comprehensive educational programs for hearing impaired and vi ...
. The Rhode Island Society of the
Sons of the Revolution
Sons of the Revolution is a hereditary society which was founded in 1876 and educates the public about the American Revolution. The General Society Sons of the Revolution headquarters is a Pennsylvania non-profit corporation
located at Willia ...
holds an annual observance of Rhode Island Independence Day (May 4) at Governor Collins' grave.
Notes
References
* "John Collins". ''Dictionary of American Biography''. American Council of Learned Societies, 1928–1936.
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Collins, John
1717 births
1795 deaths
Continental Congressmen from Rhode Island
18th-century American politicians
Signers of the Articles of Confederation
Governors of Rhode Island