William Ewen (April 15, 1720 – January 24, 1777) was the first president of the

Council of Safety In the American Revolution, committees of correspondence, committees of inspection (also known as committees of observation), and committees of safety were different local committees of Patriots that became a shadow government; they took control ...

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

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 ...

. He is considered the state's first

chief executive A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especially ...

, although the first chief executive under a proper constitutional government (the "Rules and Regulations" of 1776) was

Archibald Bulloch Archibald Stobo Bulloch (January 1, 1730 – February 22, 1777) was a lawyer, soldier, and statesman from Georgia during the American Revolution. He was the first governor of Georgia. He was also a great-grandfather of Martha Bulloch Roosevelt, ...

, and the first person to hold the title of (non-royal) "governor" was

John A. Treutlen John Adam Treutlen, born Hans Adam Treuettlen (January 16, 1734 – March 1, 1782), arrived in Colonial America as an indentured servant and rose to become a wealthy merchant and landowner. He was a leader in Province of Georgia, Georgia during ...

Early life

Believed to have been born in

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

in 1720, Ewen came to Georgia in 1734 as an

indentured servant Indentured servitude is a form of labor in which a person is contracted to work without salary for a specific number of years. The contract, called an "indenture", may be entered "voluntarily" for purported eventual compensation or debt repaymen ...

and worked for Thomas Causton, chief magistrate and storekeeper in Savannah, in the Trustee store for the term of two years. A former potter in England, Ewen left his position at the store when that controversial establishment closed, bought goods at discounted prices, and ventured out on his own as an auctioneer in Savannah.

Political life

In 1741, he worked in the private store of John Bromfield, and became one of the so-called "Malcontents" who opposed the Trustees of the colony. Trustee secretary William Stephens wrote about Ewen: "There is not a more virulent little mischief maker among ‘em, this Ewen". Ewen was elected to the Commons House of Assembly on March 25, 1761, working under provincial governor Sir James Wright. Ewen was elected president of the Council of Safety on June 22, 1775, and served until December 11, 1775. He served alongside other famous Revolutionary War heroes of Georgia including

Seth John Cuthbert Seth John Cuthbert (1739 – August 23, 1797) briefly served as the Chairman of the Supreme Executive Council (governor) of Georgia during the American Revolution. He was born in Savannah, Georgia in 1739. His first marriage was to Catherine (K ...

Joseph Habersham Joseph Habersham (July 28, 1751 – November 17, 1815) was an American businessman, Georgia politician, soldier in the Continental Army, and Postmaster General of the United States. Early years Born in Savannah, Georgia, to James Habers ...

Edward Telfair Edward Telfair (1735 – September 17, 1807) was a Scottish-born American Founding Father, politician and slave trader who served as the governor of Georgia from 1786 to 1787 and again from 1790 to 1793. He was a member of the Continental Congres ...

, William LeConte, Basil Cowper, Joseph Clay, George Walton, John Glenn,

Samuel Elbert Samuel Elbert (1740November 1, 1788) was an American merchant, soldier, and politician from Savannah, Georgia. Elbert fought in the Revolutionary War, commanding the victorious American colonial forces in a naval battle near St. Simons Island, ...

, William Young, Elisha Butler, George Houston, John Smith, Francis H. Harris and John Morel. When news of the Stamp Act reached Georgia, it ignited the revolutionary movement with Ewen at the forefront as a Son of Liberty. By the end of January 1775, Ewen, with many others, signed the

Continental Association The Continental Association, also known as the Articles of Association or simply the Association, was an agreement among the American colonies adopted by the First Continental Congress on October 20, 1774. It called for a trade boycott against ...

, adding Georgia to the colonies against the rule of Great Britain. Ewen returned to the Council of Safety, acting as president pro tempore for the absent Elisha Butler, from February 20, 1776, through May 1, 1776.

Personal life

Ewen was a leader in the

Anglican Church Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of the ...

in Georgia, holding several offices for the parish of Christ Church. Sometime before 1760 (the exact date being unknown), Ewen wed Margaretha Waldhauer of the

Salzburg Protestants The Salzburg Protestants (german: Salzburger Exulanten) were Protestant refugees who had lived in the Catholic Archbishopric of Salzburg until the 18th century. In a series of persecutions ending in 1731, over 20,000 Protestants were expelled from ...

settlement in

Ebenezer Ebenezer may refer to: Bible * Eben-Ezer, a place mentioned in the Books of Samuel People * Ebenezer (given name), a male given name Places Australia * Ebenezer, New South Wales * Ebenezer, Queensland, a locality in the City of Ipswich * Ebene ...

References

*Ewen, William
Will, Sept. 30, 1776
From Wills, Colony of Georgia, RG 49-1-2, Georgia Archives. *Fore, Sam
"William Ewen (ca. 1720-1776/1777)."
New Georgia Encyclopedia. 21 August 2013. Web. 18 May 2016.
Plan of Government, William Ewen, v5:590
American Archives: Documents of the American Revolutionary Period, 1774–1776, Northern Illinois University Libraries, Digital Collections and Collaborative Projects. Web. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
Power of Attorney. Thomas Stephens, William Ewen & John Milledge
Apr. 25, 1761. From Telamon Cuyler collection, ms 1170, series 1. Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library, University of Georgia Libraries. Web. Retrieved 20 May 2016. {{DEFAULTSORT:Ewen, William 1720 births 1777 deaths American people of English descent Governors of Georgia (U.S. state) American indentured servants People of Georgia (U.S. state) in the American Revolution Independent state governors of the United States American slave owners American domestic workers