James Cannon (mathematician)
Encyclopedia
James Cannon was a Scottish
-born American
mathematician, and one of the principal draftsmen of the 1776 Constitution
of the State of Pennsylvania
.
in 1740, Cannon was educated at the University of Edinburgh
and moved to Pennsylvania to continue his studies at The Academy and College of Philadelphia
, now the University of Pennsylvania
. He graduated with a B.A.
in 1767 and returned in 1773 as a Professor of Mathematics, a position he held until his death in 1782.
when he died his family continued in his work.
During the American Revolution
, Cannon was one of the leaders of a radical faction campaigning for independence, in opposition to Philadelphia
's majority support for an accommodation with Britain. The radical group included Cannon, George Bryan
, Timothy Matlack
, Thomas Young
and Thomas Paine
.
Cannon was a founder of the Philadelphia Society for the Promotion of American Manufactures, which organized citizens of Philadelphia in making woolen, linen and cotton fabrics. According to Christopher Marshall
's diary, Cannon was a leading organizer in private meetings held to select radical candidates for the 1776 elections to the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly.
The moderate faction won a majority in the elections on May 1, 1776, but were outmaneuvered by the radicals, who successfully persuaded the Continental Congress
to resolve that all local governments deriving their authority from the British Crown should be "totally suppressed." This resolution hastened the end of British authority in the United States and effectively undermined the Charter and Assembly of Pennsylvania.
On May 20 a public meeting of over 4,000 in the Philadelphia State House yard supported the resolution of Congress. The citizens called for a special constitutional convention to establish a new state government. The Provincial Assembly was denied any role in the formation of a new government and promptly voted itself out of existence.
On July 15, 1776, Cannon became a member of the Constitutional Convention of Pennsylvania, and was put in charge of drafting the instructions for Pennsylvania's delegates to Congress. The Convention made him a Justice of the Peace
for Pennsylvania, and also enabled him to serve as a member of the Council of Safety from July 24, 1776 to December 4, 1777. Cannon is regarded as one of the two principal draftsmen of the Constitution of 1776.
Drawing on the language of the Declaration of Independence, the new constitution conferred detailed rights on citizens and enfranchised all tax-paying free men, who would vote in annual elections for a unicameral legislature. This radical constitution was replaced in 1790 by a more cautious document.
Cannon died on January 28, 1782 in Philadelphia.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
-born American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
mathematician, and one of the principal draftsmen of the 1776 Constitution
Pennsylvania Constitution of 1776
The Pennsylvania Constitution of 1776 was the state's first constitution following the Declaration of Independence, and has been described as the most democratic in America. It was drafted by Robert Whitehill, Timothy Matlack, Dr. Thomas Young, George Bryan, James Cannon, and Benjamin Franklin...
of the State of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
.
Biography
Born in EdinburghEdinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
in 1740, Cannon was educated at the University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
and moved to Pennsylvania to continue his studies at The Academy and College of Philadelphia
The Academy and College of Philadelphia
The Academy and College of Philadelphia in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, is considered by many to have been the first American academy. It was founded in 1749 by Benjamin Franklin....
, now the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
. He graduated with a B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in 1767 and returned in 1773 as a Professor of Mathematics, a position he held until his death in 1782.
when he died his family continued in his work.
During the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
, Cannon was one of the leaders of a radical faction campaigning for independence, in opposition to Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
's majority support for an accommodation with Britain. The radical group included Cannon, George Bryan
George Bryan
George Bryan was a Pennsylvania businessman, statesman and politician of the Revolutionary era. He served as the first Vice-President of Pennsylvania and its second President following the Declaration of Independence from Great Britain...
, Timothy Matlack
Timothy Matlack
Timothy Matlack was a merchant, surveyor, architect, statesman, and patriot in the American Revolution. A delegate from Pennsylvania to the Second Continental Congress in 1780, he emerged during the Revolutionary period as one of Pennsylvania's most provocative and influential political...
, Thomas Young
Thomas Young (scientist)
Thomas Young was an English polymath. He is famous for having partly deciphered Egyptian hieroglyphics before Jean-François Champollion eventually expanded on his work...
and Thomas Paine
Thomas Paine
Thomas "Tom" Paine was an English author, pamphleteer, radical, inventor, intellectual, revolutionary, and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States...
.
Cannon was a founder of the Philadelphia Society for the Promotion of American Manufactures, which organized citizens of Philadelphia in making woolen, linen and cotton fabrics. According to Christopher Marshall
Christopher Marshall
Christopher Marshall was a leader in the American Revolution. Born in Dublin, Ireland, he went to America in 1727, settled in Philadelphia and worked as a chemist and pharmacist...
's diary, Cannon was a leading organizer in private meetings held to select radical candidates for the 1776 elections to the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly.
The moderate faction won a majority in the elections on May 1, 1776, but were outmaneuvered by the radicals, who successfully persuaded the Continental Congress
Continental Congress
The Continental Congress was a convention of delegates called together from the Thirteen Colonies that became the governing body of the United States during the American Revolution....
to resolve that all local governments deriving their authority from the British Crown should be "totally suppressed." This resolution hastened the end of British authority in the United States and effectively undermined the Charter and Assembly of Pennsylvania.
On May 20 a public meeting of over 4,000 in the Philadelphia State House yard supported the resolution of Congress. The citizens called for a special constitutional convention to establish a new state government. The Provincial Assembly was denied any role in the formation of a new government and promptly voted itself out of existence.
On July 15, 1776, Cannon became a member of the Constitutional Convention of Pennsylvania, and was put in charge of drafting the instructions for Pennsylvania's delegates to Congress. The Convention made him a Justice of the Peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
for Pennsylvania, and also enabled him to serve as a member of the Council of Safety from July 24, 1776 to December 4, 1777. Cannon is regarded as one of the two principal draftsmen of the Constitution of 1776.
Drawing on the language of the Declaration of Independence, the new constitution conferred detailed rights on citizens and enfranchised all tax-paying free men, who would vote in annual elections for a unicameral legislature. This radical constitution was replaced in 1790 by a more cautious document.
Cannon died on January 28, 1782 in Philadelphia.