{"id":3439,"date":"2022-11-21T00:35:01","date_gmt":"2022-11-21T00:35:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.historydefined.net\/?p=3439"},"modified":"2022-11-29T17:36:29","modified_gmt":"2022-11-29T17:36:29","slug":"william-whipple","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.historydefined.net\/william-whipple\/","title":{"rendered":"William Whipple: The Founding Father Who Freed His Slave"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Few people know William Whipple\u2019s name, despite his participation in one of the most important moments in American history \u2014 the signing of the Declaration of Independence. But even more obscure is the story of Prince Whipple, William\u2019s long-time slave and bodyguard, depicted in the famous portrait of <em>Washington Crossing the Delaware.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">William Whipple gains more recognition in present-day times than in his own life, but his legacy as the founding father who freed his slaves lives on today. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While William and Prince are not often highlighted in American history, their friendship triumphed through decades of cultural turmoil and national changes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"812\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.historydefined.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/William_Whipple_by_Walter_Gilman_Page_1897-812x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3442\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.historydefined.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/William_Whipple_by_Walter_Gilman_Page_1897-812x1024.jpeg 812w, https:\/\/www.historydefined.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/William_Whipple_by_Walter_Gilman_Page_1897-238x300.jpeg 238w, https:\/\/www.historydefined.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/William_Whipple_by_Walter_Gilman_Page_1897-768x969.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.historydefined.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/William_Whipple_by_Walter_Gilman_Page_1897-1217x1536.jpeg 1217w, https:\/\/www.historydefined.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/William_Whipple_by_Walter_Gilman_Page_1897-856x1080.jpeg 856w, https:\/\/www.historydefined.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/William_Whipple_by_Walter_Gilman_Page_1897-150x189.jpeg 150w, https:\/\/www.historydefined.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/William_Whipple_by_Walter_Gilman_Page_1897.jpeg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 812px) 100vw, 812px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">William Whipple<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Early Whipple Days<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Whipple was born in Kittery, Maine, in 1730, where he attended public school as a child. Unlike other signers of the Declaration of Independence who went on to Harvard, Yale or Princeton, William spent his late teens and 20\u2019s in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, where he worked on his father\u2019s ships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Shipbuilding and navigation were deep-rooted in William Whipple\u2019s history. His mother was the daughter of a successful shipbuilder who left a large fortune to his daughter. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Whipple grew up working on ships, setting sail at the young age of 21 as the Ship Master of his ship, supplied by his father\u2019s merchant vessels. Whipple went on voyages to the West Indies, where he was paid a large sum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At 29, after several years of navigating the open seas, he was ready to settle down with his accumulated wealth. For his next venture, he went into business with his two brothers, opening up a merchant store in Portsmouth. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At the time, two young slave boys worked with the Whipple brothers at the shop. One of them was Prince, who began a deep friendship with William and would remain by his side for decades to come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">William Whipple tried to find love, getting engaged and being left at the alter process. However, later on, at the age of 35, Whipple married his cousin, Catherine Moffat. Catherine\u2019s father, John Moffat, became a close collaborator of William.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Diving into politics<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In his mid-30s, Whipple became more involved in the politics between Great Britain and the colonies. He was known for having a strong moral compass and being whipsmart \u2014 a combination of traits that earned him the trust and responsibility of local politics. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He was nominated to represent the town of Portsmouth at the Continental Congress in Philadelphia in 1775, and shortly after, in 1776, was appointed as a delegate to the Continental Congress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"672\" src=\"https:\/\/www.historydefined.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Declaration_of_Independence_1819_by_John_Trumbull-1024x672.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3441\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.historydefined.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Declaration_of_Independence_1819_by_John_Trumbull-1024x672.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/www.historydefined.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Declaration_of_Independence_1819_by_John_Trumbull-300x197.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/www.historydefined.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Declaration_of_Independence_1819_by_John_Trumbull-768x504.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.historydefined.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Declaration_of_Independence_1819_by_John_Trumbull-1536x1009.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/www.historydefined.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Declaration_of_Independence_1819_by_John_Trumbull-2048x1345.jpeg 2048w, https:\/\/www.historydefined.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Declaration_of_Independence_1819_by_John_Trumbull-1080x709.jpeg 1080w, https:\/\/www.historydefined.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Declaration_of_Independence_1819_by_John_Trumbull-150x98.jpeg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">William Whipple can be seen second from the left<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Amid these historical moments, Whipple knew change was coming as the colonies began fighting for independence. In January of 1776, Whipple wrote to his friend Josiah Bartlett: \u201cThis year, my Friend, is big with mighty events. Nothing less than the fate of America depends on the virtue of her sons, and if they do not have virtue enough to support the most Glorious Cause ever human beings were engaged in, they don\u2019t deserve the blessings of freedom.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Just a few months later, William Whipple voted for independence from Great Britain and signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. His slave, Prince Whipple, was by his side at the time he signed the document.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The moment exemplified how the idea of the \u201cAmerican Dream\u201d became an attainable goal for many individuals looking to make something of themselves in this newfound country. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A writer profiled Whipple on the day the Declaration was signed, saying, \u201cThe memorable day which gave birth to the declaration of independence afforded, in the case of William Whipple is a striking example of the uncertainty of human affairs, and the triumphs of perseverance.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Just thirty years before, Whipple thought he would be a captain of his own fleet of ships. Now, though, he had quickly risen in the ranks to be \u201cupon a conclave of patriots, such as the world had never witnessed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He whose ambition once centered in inscribing his name as commander upon a crew list now affixed his signature to a document, which has embalmed it for posterity.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>A promise delivered on<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.historydefined.net\/american-revolution-quiz\/\" title=\"Quiz: How Well Do You Know The American Revolution?\">American Revolution<\/a> began to take hold of the country, William Whipple was promoted in 1777 to brigadier general and was ordered to go to Vermont.&nbsp; His slave, Prince Whipple, traveled with his master, acting as his bodyguard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During this time, Prince began to challenge William about his enslavement. \u201cYou are going to fight for your liberty but I have none to fight for,\u201d he argued to William. A<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">fter considering it, William would grant Prince his freedom at the end of the war as long as Prince continued his military service until then.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prince fought in the American Revolution war, both at Saratoga in 1777 and at the Battle of Rhode Island in 1778. After his service,&nbsp; William kept his word &#8211; and on February 22, 1781, Prince was declared a freeman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">William Whipple believed strongly that all people should have \u201cthe blessings of Freedom.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>A legacy that lives on<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After the Revolution, Whipple was elected to the state legislature but began having heart problems. He passed away in 1785 at the age of 55. He had no children but is buried with his family and Prince Whipple in Portsmouth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prince Whipple is captured in one of the most prominent depictions of the Revolutionary War. Emanuel Leutze, the painter of the famous <em>Washington Crossing the Delaware, <\/em>included Prince Whipple as the American soldier at the front of the boat paddling President Washington across the Delaware River. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"598\" src=\"https:\/\/www.historydefined.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/lot_30c_emanuel_leutze_1816-1868__italicwashington_crossing_the_delaware-1024x598.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3440\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.historydefined.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/lot_30c_emanuel_leutze_1816-1868__italicwashington_crossing_the_delaware-1024x598.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.historydefined.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/lot_30c_emanuel_leutze_1816-1868__italicwashington_crossing_the_delaware-300x175.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.historydefined.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/lot_30c_emanuel_leutze_1816-1868__italicwashington_crossing_the_delaware-768x448.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.historydefined.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/lot_30c_emanuel_leutze_1816-1868__italicwashington_crossing_the_delaware-1536x897.webp 1536w, https:\/\/www.historydefined.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/lot_30c_emanuel_leutze_1816-1868__italicwashington_crossing_the_delaware-1080x630.webp 1080w, https:\/\/www.historydefined.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/lot_30c_emanuel_leutze_1816-1868__italicwashington_crossing_the_delaware-150x88.webp 150w, https:\/\/www.historydefined.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/lot_30c_emanuel_leutze_1816-1868__italicwashington_crossing_the_delaware.webp 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Washington crossing the Delaware<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While Prince wasn\u2019t actually there at the time, Leutze used the story of Prince almost a century later to illustrate and symbolize the African American patriots at the time who sacrificed for the freedom they didn\u2019t officially have yet. The painting now sits in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.metmuseum.org\/\" rel=\"nofollow\" title=\"\">Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While more prominent Declaration of Independence signers often overlook William Whipple\u2019s legacy, his story resonates today with many who learn about the early Revolution and Abolitionist movement.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Few people know William Whipple\u2019s name, despite his participation in one of the most important moments in American history \u2014 the signing of the Declaration of Independence. But even more obscure is the story of Prince Whipple, William\u2019s long-time slave and bodyguard, depicted in the famous portrait of Washington Crossing the Delaware. William Whipple gains [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3441,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3439","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t<!-- All in One SEO Pro 4.9.8 - aioseo.com -->\n\t<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Few people know William Whipple\u2019s name, despite his participation in one of the most important moments in American history \u2014 the signing of the Declaration of Independence. 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