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Charles Thomson
Who was Charles Thomson?
American patriot leader (1729-1824)
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Charles Thomson (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
Charles Thomson was born on November 29, 1729, in Maghera, now part of Northern Ireland. After his father's death during their journey to America, Thomson arrived as an orphan and was cared for by relatives in Pennsylvania. He received a classical education and became a schoolteacher in Philadelphia at the Academy of Philadelphia, which later became the University of Pennsylvania. His intellect and education drew him into the intellectual and political circles of colonial Philadelphia, where he made lasting connections with people like Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson.
Thomson was heavily involved in resisting British rule during the 1760s and 1770s. He was a key organizer of nonimportation agreements and acted as a trusted link between different colonial groups. Known for his integrity and attention to detail, he was appointed Secretary of the Continental Congress in 1774, a role he held throughout the Congress's existence, which lasted fifteen years until 1789. His and John Hancock's names were the only ones printed on the first official publication of the United States Declaration of Independence, highlighting Thomson's important role during that time.
As the secretary, Thomson kept the official Journals of the Continental Congress, serving as the record keeper of the new nation's governing body during a volatile time in American history. He also helped design the Great Seal of the United States, contributing the imagery on the reverse side and adding the Latin mottos Annuit cœptis and Novus ordo seclorum, phrases from the Roman poet Virgil. These mottos, which mean 'He has approved our undertakings' and 'A new order of the ages,' are still on the seal today and appear on the back of the one-dollar bill.
After the Continental Congress ended and the new federal government was established under the Constitution, Thomson retired from public life. He turned down an offer to be the first Postmaster General and withdrew to his estate in Pennsylvania. In retirement, he spent nearly twenty years translating the Bible from Greek, publishing a version of the Old Testament in 1808 and the New Testament separately. His translation, based on the Septuagint, was among the first English Bible translations produced in America and showed his continued dedication to scholarly work after his political career.
Thomson died on August 16, 1824, in Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania, at the age of 94. He outlived nearly all his contemporaries among the Founding Fathers. Despite his key role in the founding of the United States, Thomson did not write a memoir or publish any accounts of his time as secretary, and he reportedly destroyed much of his personal correspondence. This has left historians with few firsthand accounts of his experiences during the revolutionary period.
Before Fame
Charles Thomson was born into a Presbyterian family in Maghera, Ireland, in 1729. After his mother passed away, his father, John Thomson, moved to America with the children. Tragically, John died during the sea voyage, leaving Charles an orphan when they arrived in the American colonies. A blacksmith took him in, and eventually, benefactors noticed Charles's intellectual potential, enabling him to receive a formal classical education.
In the 1750s, Thomson worked as a schoolteacher in Philadelphia and became a respected figure in colonial intellectual circles. His fluency in Latin and Greek, along with his organizational skills, made him a key figure in Philadelphia's civic community. He formed close friendships with leading colonial thinkers and actively took part in protests against British tax policies, earning a reputation as a trustworthy and principled advocate for colonial rights before officially entering continental politics.
Key Achievements
- Served as Secretary of the Continental Congress for its entire fifteen-year existence from 1774 to 1789
- Co-designed the Great Seal of the United States and authored its Latin mottoes Annuit cœptis and Novus ordo seclorum
- Compiled and maintained the official Journals of the Continental Congress
- Published one of the earliest American English translations of the Bible, translated from the Greek Septuagint, in 1808
- His name appeared alongside John Hancock's on the first printed publication of the Declaration of Independence
Did You Know?
- 01.Thomson's and John Hancock's were the only two names printed on the first published copy of the Declaration of Independence; the signatures of other delegates were not made public until later for security reasons.
- 02.He spent nearly twenty years translating the Bible from Greek, producing one of the earliest American English translations based on the Septuagint rather than the traditional Hebrew text.
- 03.Thomson reportedly destroyed his personal papers and memoirs of the Continental Congress, telling a visitor that the true history of the Revolution would astonish the world but that he did not wish to wound reputations.
- 04.He lived to the age of 94, outliving nearly every other prominent Founding Father, and was still mentally active in his final years.
- 05.The Latin motto Novus ordo seclorum, which Thomson added to the Great Seal, is still printed on every United States one-dollar bill.