Thomas Fitzsimons

Thomas Fitzsimons was born in 1741 in Country Tubber, Wiglow, Ireland. He came to north America to become a merchant in about 1760. He entered a communtiy house in Philadelphia, as a clerk. He was in command of the company of volunteer home guards during the Revolutionary War. He married a women by the name of Catherine Meade on November 23, 1761. Catherine Meade was the daughter of a very prominent local merchant. Fitzsimons soon went into business with his brother in law in a commercial house. They specilized in the West India trade. Thomas Fitzsimons was not a very prominent member of the convention which framed the constitution, but he was very involved. He became a member of the constitutional congress in 1782 and 1783. He was member of the state house of representatives in 1786 and 1787. He was also a delegate to the US Constitutional Convention in 1787. He was elected to the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd congresses (March 4, 1787 - March 3, 1795). Fitzsimons was also an unsuccesful candidate for reelection in 1794 to 4th congress. He was president of Philadelphia chamber of commerce, a trustee of the University of Pennsylvania, and a founder and Director of the Bank of North America, which was the first bank ever made. Thomas Fitzsimons argued for many things. Such as a strong national government, office holding, he was against slavery, giving the congress powers to tax import and exports, and granting the house of representatives and the senate equal pwower in making treaties. He was also one of the few roman catholics to actually sign the constitution. He died August 26, 1811 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Today he is buried in St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church Cemetary, which is now a national historical park.