Titus Hosmer and the Court of Appeals in Cases of Capture
Titus Hosmer was a signer of the Articles of Confederation and an original justice on the first Federal Court.
As a signer of the Articles, Hosmer has been on my radar for quite some time. I’m a bit surprised it has taken me this long to give him a day.
Titus Hosmer
When the American Rebels declared independence, Titus Hosmer was already a member of Connecticut’s Legislature who had served with the local Committee of Correspondence.
Two years later, Hosmer had been selected for the State Senate but was being prepared for a bigger task.
A joint meeting of Connecticut’s House and Senate had chosen him as a Delegate to the Continental Congress.
Articles of Confederation
When Hosmer arrived in Philadelphia, he brought word of another decision made by the joint meeting of Connecticut’s Government...they had ratified the Articles of Confederation.
As such, he was one of five Delegates from Connecticut to sign the Articles (as opposed to most of America’s famous documents, which were usually signed by all the Delegates in attendance, the Articles were signed over the course of several years as they were approved by the individual States).
Though he was unknown by most in Philadelphia when he arrived, he quickly impressed much of his colleagues with his knowledge of the law.
Court of Appeals in Cases of Capture
Though Titus returned home after just one session of Congress, his services were still needed.
In 1780, Hosmer was selected as one of the three original Justices of the Court of Appeals in Cases of Capture.
This court was in charge of ruling over who was the rightful owner of property seized from enemy ships during the Revolutionary War.
The Court of Appeals was significant for several reasons.
First, it generally worked properly and can be viewed as one of the few things that most Founders believed was done correctly under the Articles of Confederation.
Second, it was a FEDERAL COURT. A full seven years before the Constitutional Convention, the Court of Appeals was the first court system that had the power to rule over the States.
Furthermore, it was a high water mark that many Federalists would later point to in their efforts to ratify the Constitution.
Sudden Death
Unfortunately, Hosmer’s story ends suddenly.
Just four months after his appointment to the Court of Appeals, he passed away for reasons that are unclear without ever hearing a case.
It is a sad ending for a Founder who was obviously held in high esteem by his colleges for his legal mind.
Had he survived longer, it would not be a stretch to assume Titus Hosmer would have played a much larger role in the establishment of the Federal Government.
For a more members of the Court of Appeals, check out these Founders:
Cyrus Griffin Dissolves the Government
John Lowell Sires American Leaders
To learn about the failings of the Articles of Confederation, check out ‘We Have Not a Government’.
It goes into detail about the road to the Constitution, pick up a copy through this affiliate link:
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