Oct 14

Oct 14 The Sibling with Nothing to Sign - Richard Morris

Richard Morris was Chief Justice of New York State through a majority of the American Founding.

Famous Siblings

When discussing American Founders, Richard Morris is often overshadowed by two of his siblings.

Lewis Morris, who was two years older than Richard, signed the Declaration of Independence.

Gouverneur Morris, who was twenty-two years younger than Richard, drafted the United States Constitution (and also has his name on the Articles of Confederation).

Richard did not put his name to any famous documents, but that does not mean his role in the Revolution is any less significant.

Richard Morris

As we have already established, Richard Morris came from one of the elite families of New York.

He studied at Yale and by 32-years-old was appointed by the Royal Governor to the Court of Vice-Admiralty, an impressive feat for such a young man.

In 1775, however, Morris determined to side with the Patriots and resigned from the court. He was rewarded with an election to the State Assembly, followed soon thereafter with a promotion to the Senate.

He also had one of his houses burned by the British in the no-man’s-land that was the area around New York City.

Chief Justice of New York

In 1779, Richard Morris was chosen to sit as Chief Justice of the New York Supreme Court.

Morris replaced John Jay who was setting off to recruit Spain’s help in the Revolutionary War.

Richard held the highest judicial position in his state for eleven years when he reached the maximum age of 60. (New York mandated that no Justice could sit on the Supreme Court after 60 for fears of losing cognitive abilities.)

After an unsuccessful run for US Congress, Morris spent his remaining days in private law practice.

If you enjoyed this article, you might like these other members of the Morris Family:

The Amputation of Gouverneur Morris - Finding Truth in Legend

Lewis Morris Risks Comfort for his Country

Though Richard does not have a biography, his brother Gouverneur is one of the most hilarious characters of the Revolution.

‘Gentleman Revolutionary’ also happens to be one of the books that first introduced me to the less-popular American Founders. It’s an easy read and I really can’t recommend it enough.

If you’d like a copy you can get one through the Amazon affiliate link below (you’ll support this site, but don’t worry, Amazon pays me while your price stays the same).