George Bryan (1731-1791) was a Pennsylvania businessman, statesman and politician of the Revolutionary era. He served as the first Vice-President of Pennsylvania (analogous to Lieutenant Governor) and its second President (Governor) following the Declaration of Independence from Great Britain. He was an early abolitionist and a judge of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... The Supreme Executive Council of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania represented the executive branch of the Pennsylvania State government between 1777 and 1790. ... is the 65th day of the year (66th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1777 (MDCCLXXVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Sunday of the 11-day slower Julian calendar). ... is the 284th day of the year (285th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1779 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Matthew Smith (also spelled Mathew Smith)—the dates of his birth and death apparently unknown—was a Pennsylvania politician. ... The Supreme Executive Council of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania represented the executive branch of the Pennsylvania State government between 1777 and 1790. ... is the 143rd day of the year (144th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1778 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... is the 335th day of the year (336th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1778 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Thomas Wharton Jr. ... Joseph Reed (August 27, 1741– March 5, 1785) was an American lawyer and jurist from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ... The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania is the court of last resort for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. ... is the 95th day of the year (96th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1780 was a leap year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... is the 27th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1791 (MDCCXCI) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 11-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Capitol Building The Pennsylvania General Assembly is the U.S. state of Pennsylvanias legislative branch, seated at the states capital, Harrisburg. ... Events 10 Downing Street becomes the official residence of the United Kingdoms Prime Minister when Robert Walpole moves in. ... This article is about the city in Ireland. ... is the 27th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1791 (MDCCXCI) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 11-day-slower Julian calendar). ... A businessman (sometimes businesswoman, female; or businessperson, gender neutral) is a generic term for a wide range of people engaged in profit-oriented enterprises, generally the management of a company. ... The Politics series Politics Portal This box:      A politician is an individual who is a formally recognized and active member of a government, or a person who influences the way a society is governed through an understanding of political power and group dynamics. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Presbyterianism is part of the Reformed churches family of denominations of Christian Protestantism based on the teachings of John Calvin which traces its institutional roots to the Scottish Reformation, especially as led by John Knox. ... Capital Harrisburg Largest city Philadelphia Area  Ranked 33rd  - Total 46,055 sq mi (119,283 km²)  - Width 280 miles (455 km)  - Length 160 miles (255 km)  - % water 2. ... A businessman (sometimes businesswoman, female; or businessperson, gender neutral) is a generic term for a wide range of people engaged in profit-oriented enterprises, generally the management of a company. ... Statesman is a respectful term used to refer to politicians, and other notable figures of state. ... The Politics series Politics Portal This box:      A politician is an individual who is a formally recognized and active member of a government, or a person who influences the way a society is governed through an understanding of political power and group dynamics. ... John Trumbulls Declaration of Independence, showing the five-man committee in charge of drafting the Declaration in 1776 as it presents its work to the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia The American Revolution refers to the period during the last half of the 18th century in which the Thirteen... The Supreme Executive Council of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania represented the executive branch of the Pennsylvania State government between 1777 and 1790. ... The Lieutenant Governor is a constitutional officer of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. ... The Supreme Executive Council of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania represented the executive branch of the Pennsylvania State government between 1777 and 1790. ... This is a list of Governors of Pennsylvania. ... A declaration of independence is an assertion of the independence of an aspiring state or states. ... This article is about the abolition of slavery. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania is the court of last resort for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. ...

Early life and family

Bryan was born in Dublin, Ireland in 1731. He emigrated to Philadelphia in 1752 in order to join a business partnership arranged by his father. That partnership soon came to an end, but Bryan went on to become a successful businessman, both as a retailer and as an importer and exporter. He married Elizabeth Smith in 1757. Their family would number ten children. I love foooooood This article is about the city in Ireland. ... Events 10 Downing Street becomes the official residence of the United Kingdoms Prime Minister when Robert Walpole moves in. ... Nickname: City of Brotherly Love, Philly, the Quaker City Motto: Philadelphia maneto (Let brotherly love continue) Location in Pennsylvania Coordinates: Country United States State Pennsylvania County Philadelphia Founded October 27, 1682 Incorporated October 25, 1701 Mayor John F. Street (D) Area    - City 369. ... 1752 was a leap year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... 1757 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ...

Politics

Bryan was an active member of the Presbyterian Church, and during the late 1750s and early 1760s tried to mediate a conflict that had arisen between two opposing factions of that denomination during the Great Awakening. That experience led to his involvement in local and provincial politics. After Britain’s passage of the Stamp Act in 1765 Bryan took an active roll in the American opposition, joining other Philadelphia Merchants in signing the Non-Importation Agreement. This likely led to his bankruptcy in 1771. Presbyterianism is part of the Reformed churches family of denominations of Christian Protestantism based on the teachings of John Calvin which traces its institutional roots to the Scottish Reformation, especially as led by John Knox. ... Scientific navigation is developed The Seven Years War (1756-1763) fought between two rival alliances: the first consisting of the Kingdom of Great Britain, Hanover, and Prussia; the second consisting of Austria, France, Imperial Russia, Saxony, and Sweden. ... Events and Trends King George III ascends the British throne in 1760. ... The First Great Awakening is the name sometimes given to a period of heightened religious activity, primarily in the northeastern US during the 1730s and 1740s. ... The Politics series Politics Portal This box:      Politics is the process by which groups of people make decisions. ... A stamp act is a law enacted by a government that requires a tax to be paid on the transfer of certain documents. ... Year 1765 (MDCCLXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 11-day slower Julian calendar). ... Notice of closure stuck on the door of a computer store the day after its parent company, Granville Technology Group Ltd, declared bankruptcy (strictly, put into administration—see text) in the United Kingdom. ... 1771 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ...

Bryan was considered a “radical” regarding the issue of Independence, and as such is listed in the company of such men as Thomas Paine. Bad health limited his political activities during the early 1770s, but after the adoption of the 1776 Pennsylvania Constitution he became an advocate of the unicameral legislature and executive council outlined in that document. On 5 March 1777 he was elected the first Vice-President of that Council. Although it would become standard procedure for Presidents and Vice-Presidents to take office immediately upon election, Bryan did not take the oath of office until the following day, 6 March, and according to the State Constitution could not exercise his office until that time. Thus, his term officially began 6 March 1777. Bryan was reelected to the Vice-Presidency on 21 November 1777. For other persons of the same name, see Thomas Paine (disambiguation). ... Events and Trends For more events, see 18th century United States Declaration of Independence ratified by the Continental Congress (July 4, 1776). ... Year 1776 (MDCCLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Thursday of the 11-day slower Julian calendar). ... The Pennsylvania Constitution of 1776 has been described as the most democratic in America and was authored primarily by Timothy Matlock, Dr. Thomas Young, George Bryan, James Cannon, and Benjamin Franklin. ... Unicameralism is the practice of having only one legislative or parliamentary chamber. ... The Supreme Executive Council of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania represented the executive branch of the Pennsylvania State government between 1777 and 1790. ... This article is about the day. ... Year 1777 (MDCCLXXVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Sunday of the 11-day slower Julian calendar). ... is the 65th day of the year (66th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 325th day of the year (326th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Bryan, and subsequent Vice-Presidents, may be referred to properly as Vice-Presidents of Pennsylvania; however, the position is analogous to the modern office of Lieutenant Governor, and Vice-Presidents of Council are often listed with those who have held the latter title. The Supreme Executive Council of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania represented the executive branch of the Pennsylvania State government between 1777 and 1790. ... The Lieutenant Governor is a constitutional officer of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. ...

President of Pennsylvania

Thomas Wharton, the first President of Pennsylvania, died in office on 23 May 1778 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. (The State government had evacuated to Lancaster during the British occupation of Philadelphia.) According to the provisions of the 1776 State Constitution Bryan assumed the duties of the late President. Some sources consider Bryan to have been merely the Acting President during the seven months that followed.^[1] Others—including the records of the Council itself—deny him even that title and continue to address him as simply Vice-President, as he was never elected or officially elevated to the Presidency.^[2][3] Nonetheless, perhaps due to the length of his service at the head of the Council, both the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the National Governors Association today recognize George Bryan as a full-fledged Governor of Pennsylvania, serving from 23 May 1778 through 1 December 1778.^[4][5] It was under Bryan's leadership that the Council returned to Philadelphia on 26 June 1778, after almost nine months in Lancaster. On 1 December Bryan was soundly defeated in his bid to be formally elected to the Presidency, receiving only one of sixty three votes cast and losing to Joseph Reed. However, he handily defeated Joseph Hart to retain the Vice-Presidency, winning sixty two of the sixty three votes cast for that office. Bryan remained Vice-President for almost a year, resigning the office 11 October 1779. (No reason for the resignation is noted in the records of the Council.) Matthew Smith was elected to fill the vacancy and took office that same day. Bryan continued to serve on the Council for several days after leaving the Vice-Presidency, and on 18 October was succeeded by William Moore as Counsellor for the City of Philadelphia.^[2] Thomas Wharton Jr. ... The Supreme Executive Council of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania represented the executive branch of the Pennsylvania State government between 1777 and 1790. ... is the 143rd day of the year (144th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1778 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Nickname: Location of Lancaster County in Pennsylvania Location of Lancaster in Lancaster County Country United States State Pennsylvania County Lancaster Founded 1730 Incorporated March 10, 1818 Government  - Mayor Rick Gray (D) Area  - City  7. ... Combatants United States Great Britain Commanders George Washington William Howe Henry Clinton The Philadelphia campaign (1777–1778) was a British initiative in the American Revolutionary War. ... is the 335th day of the year (336th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 177th day of the year (178th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Joseph Reed (August 27, 1741– March 5, 1785) was an American lawyer and jurist from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ... is the 284th day of the year (285th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1779 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Matthew Smith (also spelled Mathew Smith)—the dates of his birth and death apparently unknown—was a Pennsylvania politician. ...

Following his service with the Executive Council, in 1780 Bryan was appointed a judge on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. He also served in the Pennsylvania General Assembly. An early abolitionist, Bryan believed that slavery was a moral disgrace, and he authored legislation to abolish the practice. This legislation served as a model for the gradual emancipation of slaves throughout the northern colonies. 1780 was a leap year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania is the court of last resort for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. ... Capitol Building The Pennsylvania General Assembly is the U.S. state of Pennsylvanias legislative branch, seated at the states capital, Harrisburg. ... This English poster depicting the horrific conditions on slave ships was influential in mobilizing public opinion against slavery. ... Slave redirects here. ... For other uses, see Emancipation (disambiguation). ... The Buxton Memorial Fountain, celebrating the emancipation of slaves in the British Empire in 1834, London. ...

In the late 1780s Bryan remained an ardent advocate of the unicameral legislature and executive council still in place in Pennsylvania, and he opposed adoption of the 1787 Federal Constitution largely because it created a bicameral legislature and a single executive. Nothing much really happened in the 1780s only that Mary-Anne Tobin was hung in public for wearing a flase beard and voting. ... Year 1787 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Wikisource has original text related to this article: The United States Constitution The United States Constitution is the supreme law of the United States of America. ... In government, bicameralism is the practice of having two legislative or parliamentary chambers. ...

University of Pennsylvania

Like most of the Presidents and Vice-Presidents of Council who came after him, Bryan may have served as an ex officio member of the Board of Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania. University records are not clear on this issue, but it is certain that, after leaving the Vice-Presidency in 1779, Bryan was appointed a Trustee in his own right, and served that body until his death in 1791. He was Treasurer of the Board from 1779 to 1788.^[3] It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Board of directors. ... The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn[3][4]) is a private, coeducational research university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ... The word trustee is a legal term that refers to a holder of property on behalf of a beneficiary. ... Look up Treasurer in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... 1788 was a leap year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ...

Death

George Bryan died in 1791. His burial site is unknown.^[6] 1791 (MDCCXCI) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 11-day-slower Julian calendar). ...

The Supreme Executive Council of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania represented the executive branch of the Pennsylvania State government between 1777 and 1790. ... For other uses, see Philadelphia (disambiguation) and Philly. ... William Moore (c. ... The Supreme Executive Council of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania represented the executive branch of the Pennsylvania State government between 1777 and 1790. ... Matthew Smith (also spelled Mathew Smith)—the dates of his birth and death apparently unknown—was a Pennsylvania politician. ... Thomas Wharton Jr. ... The Supreme Executive Council of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania represented the executive branch of the Pennsylvania State government between 1777 and 1790. ... Joseph Reed (August 27, 1741– March 5, 1785) was an American lawyer and jurist from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ...

References

1. ^ NNDB list of Governors of Pennsylvania Accessed 17 April 2007.
2. ^ ^{a b} Minutes of the Supreme Executive Council of Pennsylvania, from its organization to the termination of the Revolution. [Mar. 4, 1777 - Dec. 20, 1790]. Harrisburg, Pub. by the State, 1852-53. Entries for 1 Dec 1778 (v. XI, pp 632-634), 5 Mar 1777 (v. XI, pp 173-174), 11 Oct 1779 (v. XII, p 127).
3. ^ ^{a b} University of Pennsylvania biography of George Bryan Accessed 17 April 2007.
4. ^ Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission listing of Prior Governors of Pennsylvania Accessed 17 April 2007.
5. ^ National Governors Association biography for George Bryan Accessed 17 April 2007.
6. ^ Political Graveyard page for surname Bryan, accessed 29 April 2007.