Francis Hopkinson. Image from The Cyclopaedia of American Literature (1880).

Hopkinson's signature

Francis Hopkinson (October 2, 1737–May 9, 1791), an American author, was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence as a delegate from New Jersey. Events 1187 - Siege of Jerusalem: Saladin captures Jerusalem after 88 years of Crusader rule Year 1737 ( MDCCXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Events 1457 BC - Battle of Megiddo (15th century BC between Thutmose III and a large Canaanite coalition under the King of Year 1791 ( MDCCXCI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The United States Declaration of Independence is a statement adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4 1776 announcing that the thirteen American colonies then New Jersey ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. His supporters believe he played a key role in the design of the first American flag. Flags of the United States The Flag of the United States of America consists of 13 equal horizontal stripes of Red (top and bottom alternating

Education and public life

Francis Hopkinson was born at Philadelphia in 1737, the son of Thomas Hopkinson. Philadelphia (ˌfɪləˈdɛlfiə Thomas Hopkinson (April 6 1709 - November 5 1751 was a lawyer public official and prominent figure in colonial Philadelphia Pennsylvania. He became a member of the first class at the College of Philadelphia (now University of Pennsylvania) in 1751 and graduated in 1757, receiving his masters degree in 1760. The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn) is a private University located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. Hopkinson entered the legal profession under Pennsylvania attorney general Benjamin Chew and was admitted to the bar in 1761. Benjamin Chew ( November 19, 1722 &ndash January 20, 1810) was a lawyer politician and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Province He was secretary to a Provincial Council of Pennsylvania Indian commission in 1761 that made a treaty with the Delaware and several Iroquois tribes. The Pennsylvania Provincial Council helped govern the Province of Pennsylvania from 1682 to 1776 In 1763, he was appointed customs collector for Salem, New Jersey. Salem is a City in Salem County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the city population was 5857

Hopkinson spent from May 1766 to August 1767 in England in hopes of becoming commissioner of customs for North America. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Although unsuccessful, he spent time with the future Prime Minister Lord North and his half-brother, the Bishop of Worcester Brownlow North ^[1], and painter Benjamin West. Frederick North 2nd Earl of Guilford, KG, PC (13 April 1732 &ndash 5 August 1792 more often known by his courtesy title Lord North, which he used from The Bishop of Worcester heads the Church of England Diocese of Worcester in the Province of Canterbury in England. Benjamin West RA ( October 10, 1738 – March 11, 1820) was an Anglo - American painter of historical

After his return, Francis Hopkinson operated a dry goods business in Philadelphia and married Ann Borden on September 1, 1768. Events 462 - Possible start of first Byzantine indiction cycle. Year 1768 ( MDCCLXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a They would have five children. Hopkinson obtained a public appointment as a customs collector for New Castle, Delaware on May 1, 1772. New Castle is a city in New Castle County, Delaware, six miles (10 km south of Wilmington, situated on the Delaware River, at the head Events 305 - Diocletian and Maximian retire from the office of Roman Emperor. Year 1772 ( MDCCLXXII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a He moved to Bordentown, NJ in 1774, became an assemblyman for the state's Royal Provincial Council, and was admitted to the New Jersey bar on May 8, 1775. See also: Bordentown Township New Jersey Bordentown City is in Burlington County, New Jersey, United Events 589 - Reccared summons the Third Council of Toledo 1450 - Jack Cade's Rebellion: Kentishmen Year 1775 ( MDCCLXXV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a He resigned his crown-appointed positions in 1776 and went on to represent New Jersey in the Continental Congress from June 22 to November 30, 1776 where he signed the Declaration of Independence. Events 217 BC - Battle of Raphia: Ptolemy IV of Egypt defeats Antiochus III the Great of the Seleucid kingdom. Events 1700 - Battle of Narva — A Swedish army of 8500 men under Charles XII defeats Year 1776 ( MDCCLXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a

As part of the fledgling nation's government, Hopkinson served on the Navy Board at Philadelphia in 1777; was treasurer of the Continental Loan Office in 1778; was appointed judge of the Admiralty Court of Pennsylvania in 1779 and reappointed in 1780 and 1787; helped ratify the Constitution during the constitutional convention in 1787; and was a judge in the U. S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania 1789-1791.

As a federal judge, Hopkinson died in Philadelphia at the age of 53 from a sudden epileptic seizure. He was buried in Christ Church Burial Ground in Philadelphia. Christ Church Burial Ground in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is an important early-American cemetery He was the father of Joseph Hopkinson, member of the United States House of Representatives and Federal judge. Joseph Hopkinson ( November 12, 1770 - January 15, 1842) was a member of the U

Cultural contributions

Hopkinson was the author of several songs to which he wrote popular airs, and of various political poems, pamphlets, and jeux d'esprit, which from their humorous satire had a wide circulation, and powerfully assisted in arousing and fostering the spirit of political independence that issued in the American Revolution. In this article the inhabitants of the thirteen colonies that supported the American Revolution are primarily referred to as "Americans" with occasional references to "Patriots"

His principal writings are The Pretty Story (1774); The Prophecy (1776); The Political Catechism (1777). Among his songs may be mentioned The Treaty, The Battle of the Kegs, and The New Roof, a song for Federal Mechanics; and the best known of his satirical pieces are Typographical Method of conducting a Quarrel, Essay on White Washing, and Modern Learning. The Battle of the Kegs is a ballad written by Francis Hopkinson describing the attempted attack upon the British Fleet in Philadelphia harbor His Miscellaneous Essays and Occasional Writings were published at Philadelphia in three volumes in 1792. Year 1792 ( MDCCXCII) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year

Hopkinson was a reputed amateur musician. He began to play the harpsichord at age 17. A harpsichord is a Musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. During the 1750's he hand copied arias, songs, instrumental pieces by many European composers. He also composed several songs. By the 1760's he was good enough on the harpsichord to play with professional musicians in concerts. He played organ at Philadelphia's Christ Church in 1770. Christ Church is an Episcopal church located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In the 1780's, Hopkinson modified a glass harmonica to be played with a keyboard and invented the Bellarmonic, an instrument that utilized the tones of metal balls. The glass harmonica, also known as the glass armonica, hydrocrystalophone, or simply armonica (derived from "armonia" the Italian ^[2]

Flag controversy

Francis Hopkinson's design for a US flag, featuring 6-pointed stars arranged in rows.

Hopkinson claimed to have designed the official "first flag" of the United States and sought compensation from Congress. Congress refused on the pretext that many people were involved in the flag's design, and that Hopkinson was already paid as a public servant. ^[3] Another consideration was that the Flag Resolution of 1777, which defined official United States flags, did not specify the arrangement of stars. ^[4] Many designs were in use that complied with the flag resolution, with stars arranged in a square, a wreath, rows, patterns, or the familiar "Betsy Ross" circle. The Betsy Ross flag is an early design of American flag popularly attributed to Betsy Ross using the common motifs of alternating red-and-white striped field

The design of the first Stars and Stripes by Hopkinson had the thirteen stars arranged in a "staggered" pattern technically known as quincuncial because it is based on the repetition of a motif of five units. This arrangement inevitably results in a strongly diagonal effect. In a flag of thirteen stars, this placement produced the unmistakable outline of the crosses of St. George and of St. Andrew, as used together on the British flag. Whether this similarity was intentional or accidental, it may explain why the plainer fashion of placing the stars in three parallel rows was preferred by many Americans over the quincuncial style.

Hopkinson also designed a flag with stars arranged in a circle. It is similar to the familiar Betsy Ross Flag, except that it uses 6-pointed stars^[5]

Hopkinson's letter and response

On May 25, 1780, Hopkinson wrote a letter to the Continental Board of Admiralty mentioniong several patriotic designs he had completed during the previous three years. The Betsy Ross flag is an early design of American flag popularly attributed to Betsy Ross using the common motifs of alternating red-and-white striped field One was his Board of Admiralty seal, which contained a red-and-white striped shield on a blue field. Others included the Treasury Board seal, “7 devices for the Continental Currency,” and “the Flag of the United States of America. ”

In the letter, Hopkinson noted that he hadn’t asked for any compensation for the designs, but was now looking for a reward: “a Quarter Cask of the public Wine. ” The board sent that letter on to Congress. Hopkinson submitted another bill on June 24 for his “drawings and devices. ” The first item on the list was “The Naval Flag of the United States. ” The price listed was 9 pounds.

The Treasury Board turned down the request in an October 27, 1780, report to Congress. The Board cited several reasons for its action, including the fact that Hopkinson “was not the only person consulted on those exhibitions of Fancy, and therefore cannot claim the sole merit of them and not entitled to the full sum charged. ”

Hopkinson’s itemized bill, moreover, is the only contemporary claim that exists for creating the American flag. Although no "Hopkinson flags" exist from the time period, it is believed that his flag contained 13 red and white stripes and 13 white stars arranged symmetrically on a field of blue. [1]

Great Seal of the United States

Francis Hopkinson provided assistance to the second committee that designed the Great Seal of the United States. The Great Seal of the United States is used to authenticate certain documents issued by the United States federal government. This seal is now impressed upon the reverse of the United States one-dollar bill. The United States one-dollar bill ($1 is the most common denomination of US currency. The seal, designed by William Barton, contains an unfinished pyramid with a radiant eye, an image used by Hopkinson when he designed the continental $50 currency^[6]. William Barton (1754-1817 was a Pennsylvania lawyer scholar and the designer (with Charles Thomson) of the Great Seal of the United States. Contemporary conspiracy theorists hold that the seal contains Freemasonry images.

Notes

• Mastai, Boleslaw and Marie-Louise D'Otrange. The Stars and the Stripes. The American Flag as Art and as History from the Birth of the Republic to the Present ©1973. Alfred A. Knopf, New York. ISBN 0-394-47217-9
• Znamierowski, Alfred. The World Encyclopedia of Flags ©2002 Anness Publishing Limited ISBN 1-84309-042-2.

External links

• Francis Hopkinson at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• University of Penn. Archives on Hopkinson
• Francis Hopkinson: Jurist, Wit, and Dilettante Marble, Annie Russell. The Biographical Directory of the United States Congress is a Biographical dictionary of all present and former members of the United States Congress as Heralds of American Literature: A Group of Patriot Writers of the Revolutionary and National Periods. 1907, University of Chicago Press, hosted by Google Book Search
• image of stamp with Hopkinson's flag, stars in a circle, from the University of Georgia