Lambert Cadwalader Is Forced To Resign
Day two of the Cadwalader Brothers series!
Lambert Cadwalader, like his brother, fought with the Continental Army. He was taken prisoner for a brief period and went to to participate in the Continental Congress and, later, was an inaugural member of the House of Representatives.
Lambert Cadwalader
Born in New Jersey, Lambert Cadwalader moved to Philadelphia with his family while he was still just a boy.
Although he attended college, Lambert dropped out to start a merchant house with his brother, John. The siblings were less than a calendar year apart in age and worked together extremely well, building a successful business and cultivating small fortunes in an extremely short amount of time.
In response to the Stamp Act, Lambert became a vocal critic of Parliament’s overreaching taxes. He (and his brother) signed the boycott agreement on British goods.
By 1774, Cadwalader was elected to the Pennsylvania Assembly. He also became an active member of Philadelphia’s Committee of Correspondence which maintained communications with the other colonies.
Fort Washington
Lambert signed up to fight with the Continental Army and he was commissioned as a Lieutenant Colonel.
After leading the 3rd Pennsylvania Battalion to New York, he was ordered to stand his ground and hold Fort Washington. Eventually, in what we now call the Battle of Long Island (or the Battle of Brooklyn, or the Battle of Brooklyn Heights), the Patriots were overtaken by the superior British numbers.
When Fort Washington was seized by the Redcoats, Cadwalader was taken prisoner. Luckily, his time under arrest was brief and he received parole.
Resignation
Cadwalader was soon promoted but, as he was still technically a prisoner on parole, he could not lead his men in the field.
Eventually, fed up that he could not participate in the Revolution (because being a ‘man of his word’ was taken extremely seriously), Lambert resigned from the Continental Army. As Philadelphia was occupied by the British, Cadwalader returned to his childhood home in New Jersey.
Congressman
After the Revolutionary Was concluded, and the Treaty of Paris was signed, Cadwalader was chosen to represent New Jersey in the Continental Congress. During this time, between the end of the war and the ratification of the Constitution, the United States in Congress Assembled got very little done.
After the Constitution was ratified, however, the federal government was reinvigorated and full of life.
Lambert Cadwalader was voted to represent New Jersey as an original Congressman in the United States House of Representatives. As a Federalist who supported the Washington Administration, Cadwalader returned two years later and helped create the government we still enjoy today.
If you would like to learn more about the Battle of Long Island, check out 'The Maryland 400.' Although it is not directly related to Lambert Cadwalader, it does discuss in detail the British victory and, specifically, the retreat and capture of Continental Soldiers. The link below take you to our affiliate Amazon.
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