John Morton (1725 – April 1, 1777) was a farmer, surveyor, and jurist from Pennsylvania and a Founding Father of the United States. As a delegate to the Continental Congress during the American Revolution, he was a signatory to the Continental Association and Declaration of Independence. Morton provided the swing vote that allowed Pennsylvania to vote in favor of the Declaration. Morton chaired the committee that wrote the Articles of Confederation but died before signing.

Morton was elected to the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly in 1756. The following year he was also appointed justice of the peace, an office he held until 1764. He resigned from the Assembly in 1766 to serve as sheriff of Chester County. It is while Sheriff in May of 1767 that this document was signed. He returned to the Assembly in 1769 and was elected speaker in 1775.

Morton was elected to the First Continental Congress in 1774 and the Second Continental Congress in 1775. He cautiously helped move Pennsylvania towards independence, though he opposed the radical Pennsylvania Constitution of 1776. When in June 1776 Congress began the debate on a resolution of independence, the Pennsylvania delegation was split, with Benjamin Franklin and James Wilson in favor of declaring independence, and John Dickinson, Robert Morris, Charles Humphreys and Thomas Willing opposed. Morton was uncommitted until July 1, when he sided with Franklin and Wilson. When the final vote was taken on July 2, Dickinson and Morris absented themselves, allowing the Pennsylvania delegation to support the resolution of independence. Morton signed the Declaration on August 2 with most of the other delegates.

Morton was the first signer of the Declaration of Independence to die, barely nine months after the Declaration's signing on July 4, 1776.

Original document measures approximately 13” x 8.5” oriented horizontally. Morton’s signature is on the opposite side, oriented vertically. This “writ” pertains to lands in Chester County, PA, that need to be turned over as part of a Last Will and Testament. There is a very “royal” tone in its wording, addressing George the Third, and dating the piece as being in “the third year of our reign.” There is a separate paper seal affixed to the front. Completely written in dark brown ink and completely readable. Morton’s signature is bold and clear.

The document’s paper shows folds, splits, and edge loss. Being very fragile, it was mounted on archival backing which supports the entire piece.

A fine signature of a man who was there at the beginning of our nation. [jet][ph:L]

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