Gouverneur Morris
| Gouverneur Morris I | |
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"Gouverneur Morris" portrait bust by Jean-Antoine Houdon, 1789, Paris.
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United States Senator from New York |
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In office April 3, 1800 – March 3, 1803 |
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| Preceded by | James Watson |
| Succeeded by | Theodorus Bailey |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
January 30, 1752 City of New York, Province of New York, British America |
| Died | November 6, 1816 (aged 64) New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Resting place | Saint Ann’s Episcopal Church, The Bronx |
| Political party | Federalist |
| Spouse(s) | Anne Cary ("Nancy") Randolph |
| Children | Gouverneur Morris II |
| Alma mater | Columbia University |
Gouverneur Morris I (January 30, 1752 – November 6, 1816) was an American statesman, a Founding Father of the United States, and a native of New York City who represented Pennsylvania in the Constitutional Convention of 1787. He was a signatory to the Articles of Confederation. Morris was a significant contributor to the Constitution of the United States and one of its signers. He wrote the preamble, and has been called the "Penman of the Constitution." In an era when most Americans thought of themselves as citizens of their respective states, Morris advanced the idea of being a citizen of a single union of states.
Morris was born in New York City in January 30, 1752, the son of Lewis Morris, Jr. (1698–1762) and his second wife, Sarah Gouverneur (1714–1786). Morris' first name derived from his mother's surname; she was from a Huguenot family that had first moved to Holland, and then to New Amsterdam. The correct pronunciation of Morris's first name is uncertain: according to Abigail Adams, Morris' first name was pronounced "governeer"; however, residents of the town of Gouverneur, in northern New York State, which was founded by Morris, pronounce the name "Gov-er-noor."
Morris' half-brother, Lewis Morris (1726–1798), was a signer of the Declaration of Independence. Another half-brother, Staats Long Morris (1728–1800), was a loyalist and major-general in the British army during the American Revolution. His nephew, Lewis Richard Morris (1760–1825), served in the Vermont legislature and in the United States Congress. His grandnephew was William M. Meredith (1799–1873), United States Secretary of the Treasury under 12th U.S. President Zachary Taylor (1784–1850).
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