Nathaniel Gorham: A Strong Politician

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Nathaniel Gorham was born in Massachusetts on May 27, 1738. His family was descendants of John Howland, who was a founder of the Plymouth colony, hence the reason he was raised in Massachusetts. He married Rebecca Call in his mid-20s and together they had nine kids. His father was a packet boat operator, and he a merchant. He received an insufficient education growing up, but always seemed to nudge his way into political affairs. Gorham accomplished much with his career before the convention, played an important role as a politician during the convention, and showed great participation after the convention.
Nathaniel Gorham was quite the go getter when it came to his career and politics. He had a strong career as a public notary, a public officer who by law served the common people in certain matters. In the year 1771, he won the colonial legislature election, and rose a dedicated Patriot. During the Revolution, he served on the Board of War in 1778 which organized Massachusetts military power and strategy. Also, he was successfully elected as delegate to the 1st Constitutional Convention, serving as a representative to both the upper and lower houses of the new state legislatures. These major accomplishments help show that Gorham was a prominent political leader, who had much to contribute for his state.
Nathaniel Gorham continued to grace the nation with his ambitious work ethic while attending the convention. He served as a vocalist, expressing his thoughts, concerns, and ideas to the other delegates who attended the convention. Gorham sat in on the Committee of Detail, and served as the chairman of the Committee of the Whole. Keeping the interests of Massachusetts in mind, he drove for a powerful, central governm...

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...el Gorham did just this. As a child he received a poor education, but he didn’t let it define who he was. He worked to the best of his ability to earn all of his rewards and accolades as a politician. He showed he possessed the qualities of a great leader, one of the many reasons why he was named chairman of the Committee of the Whole. He kept Massachusetts best interest in mind when he proposed ideas and made decisions. He and Oliver Phelps did their best to expand Massachusetts, but they were unable to complete their task. Nathaniel Gorham was a key man in the signing of the Constitution that today, many people fail to recognize.

Works Cited

http://www.history.army.mil/books/RevWar/ss/gorham.htm http://teachingamericanhistory.org/static/convention/delegates/gorham.html http://teapartycheer.com/bios/founding-fathers/list-of-all/nathaniel-gorham/

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