October 12th Rare Autograph & Document Auction
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 10/12/2023
Partly-printed DS, signed “Robt. Morris,” one page, 9.5 x 4, Philadelphia, June 4, 1795. Bill of exchange drawn on Thomas Fitzsimons. In part:At ninety days sight pay this third of Exchange (first, second and fourth not paid) to or order Five Hundred Pounds Sterling value received to the London firm Bird Savage & Bird, In very good condition, 1795 personal money order from Philadelphia signed by Robert Morris (he was a signer of the Declaration of Independence), drawn on his personal account with his pre-printed name on the body of document, contemporary frame with his likeness, overall is 14.5"W x 14.5"
Robert Morris Jr. (January 20, 1734 – May 8, 1806) was an English-born merchant and a Founding Father of the United States. He served as a member of the Pennsylvania legislature, the Second Continental Congress, and the United States Senate, and he was a signer of the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the United States Constitution. From 1781 to 1784, he served as the Superintendent of Finance of the United States, becoming known as the "Financier of the Revolution." Along with Alexander Hamilton and Albert Gallatin, he is widely regarded as one of the founders of the financial system of the United States.
Thomas Fitzsimons was a statesman concerned about the inflation and other serious economic problems that marked the latter years of the Revolution. Pennsylvania, burdened with a weak government, was unable to cope with these issues. Fitzsimons' experiences both in uniform and on the states Navy Board convinced him that stronger central authority did not pose a threat to liberty and was in fact the only solution to the new crisis. Many leaders who felt this way were unpopular in Philadelphia because of their wealth, but Fitzsimons' reputation as a caring officer, as well as his work for the poor on numerous local relief committees, sustained his popularity.
At this time he also became associated with the Patriot financier Robert Morris, helping to organize the banking facilities that Morris used to support the Continental Army and Navy in the last years of the war. In fact, Fitzsimons served as a director of the Bank of North America from its founding in 1781 until 1803. Pennsylvania sent Fitzsimons to the Continental Congress in 1782. There he concentrated on financial and commercial matters, working closely with Morris and the nationalist faction led by Hamilton and Madison on developing a centralized economy.
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