William Paterson-Signer of the Constitution

William Paterson was born in Ireland on December 24, 1745 and he died September 9, 1806.  After Immigrating from Ireland, Paterson attended the College of New Jersey (Princeton University today) and he graduated in 1763.  He then went on to study law under future signer of the Declaration of Independence, Richard Stockton.  He ran a law practice until the Revolutionary War broke out and he became Secretary of the New Jersey Provincial Congress.  Paterson also received a commission to his states militia, but he never saw active duty.  In 1776 he became New Jersey's Attorney General.

At the Constitutional Convention, William Paterson was a huge advocate in defending states rights.  He also is known as the Father of the New Jersey Plan because of his work for equal representation.  The New Jersey Plan called for each state to have an equal amount of representatives in the legislature.  The Virginia Plan, however, contradicted this as it called for a legislature based on population alone.  Today we see the compromise of these two plans in our Constitution as a bicameral legislature with the House of Representatives (Virginia Plan) and the Senate (New Jersey Plan).  William Paterson was instrumental in getting states equal representation in at least one venue of legislature.  William Pierce said the following of William Paterson:

"[He was] one of those kind of Men whose powers break in upon you, and create wonder and astonishment. He is a man of great modesty whose looks bespeak talent of no great extent, but he is a Classic and a Lawyer, and an Orator-and of a disposition so favorable to his advancement that everyone seemed ready to exalt him with their praises."