The Lives and Times of Our Founding Fathers - 1
In this post: Elbridge Gerry, Thomas Heyward, Jr., William Floyd
Founding Fathers Series
Step into history like never before.
Starting today and on a daily basis (Mon thru Fri), we will be posting 2 to 3 videos, about 5 minutes worth of videos, presenting the signers of the Declaration of Independence and the ladies of the American Revolution come alive through vivid, first-person storytelling.
This Series will be tagged on the right column of our blog as Founding Father Series
You may not know some, that does not devalue the contributions they provided in the founding of our country.
Their courage, sacrifice, and triumph unfold in gripping moments that shaped America’s founding.
Elbridge Gerry
Elbridge Gerry was an American Founding Father, merchant, politician, and diplomat, born on July 17, 1744, in Marblehead, Massachusetts. His father, Thomas Gerry, was a successful merchant, and his mother was Elizabeth Greenleaf Gerry. He was educated by private tutors and entered Harvard College before turning 14, graduating in 1762. After receiving his bachelor of arts degree in 1762 and a master of arts in 1765, he joined his father’s merchant business. Gerry was one of 11 children, though only five survived to adulthood, with Elbridge being the third. He had 10 children, 9 of whom survived into adulthood, including Elbridge Gerry, Jr.
Gerry’s political career began in Massachusetts, where he vocally opposed British policies that increased taxes on the colonies. He was a signer of the Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation as a member of the Second Continental Congress. He also served in the Continental Congress from 1775 to 1780 and again from 1783 to 1785. Gerry attended the Constitutional Convention in 1787, where he played a role in forging compromises, but ultimately he opposed the new Federal Constitution due to the absence of a Bill of Rights and a belief that it gave too much power to the federal government; he refused to sign it. He was elected to the first two Congresses from Massachusetts and later served as an envoy to France in 1797.
Gerry served as the eighth governor of Massachusetts in 1810 and 1811. During his second term as governor in 1811, he approved a redistricting plan designed to benefit the Republican Party, which led to the coining of the term “gerrymandering.” In 1812, he was elected fifth Vice President of the United States under President James Madison, a position he held until his death. Elbridge Gerry passed away on November 23, 1814, and is the only signatory of the Declaration of Independence to be buried in Washington, D.C., at the Congressional Cemetery
Thomas Heyward, Jr.
Thomas Heyward, Jr. was an American Founding Father, lawyer, jurist, and politician, born on July 28, 1746. He was the eldest son of Colonel Daniel Heyward and Ann Heyward (also Mary Miles Heyward), a wealthy planter family in St. Luke’s Parish, South Carolina, which is now Jasper County. He grew up at his father’s home, Old House, and received his education at home before traveling to England to study law. Heyward became a member of the Honourable Society of the Middle Temple in London.
Heyward was a signer of the Declaration of Independence, representing South Carolina in the Continental Congress. He was one of four signers from South Carolina, along with Thomas Lynch Jr., Arthur Middleton, and Edward Rutledge. Heyward was active politically during the Revolutionary Era, supporting independence from Britain and fighting in several battles during the American Revolution. He served as a judge in South Carolina starting in 1778. During the Siege of Charleston, Heyward was captured by British troops at his home and imprisoned. After his release as a prisoner of war, his first wife died in childbirth in Philadelphia in 1782. He later remarried Elizabeth Savage and had several children. Heyward died on April 17, 1809, at the age of 63, and is buried next to his father in the family cemetery at Old House, which is now a state-designated historic site.
William Floyd
William Floyd was an American Founding Father, a wealthy farmer, and a political leader from New York. He was born on December 17, 1734, in Brookhaven, Long Island, New York, to Nicoll Floyd and Tabitha Smith. His family, of Welsh descent, had established themselves in America by 1654 and were prosperous landowners. Floyd inherited his family’s estate at the age of 20 after his parents passed away within months of each other in 1755. He managed his extensive farm, which included labor-intensive agricultural crops, cattle, sheep, hogs, and fowl, relying on both free and enslaved labor. The 1790 Federal Census recorded 14 enslaved people and five free people of color in his household. Floyd’s early education was practical rather than formal, and he proved to be an excellent farmer and accounts manager.
Floyd became active in local politics and served as a delegate for New York at both the First and Second Continental Congresses from 1774 to 1776, and again from 1779 to 1781. He was the first delegate from New York and the fourth member of Congress to sign the Declaration of Independence on August 2, 1776. During the Revolutionary War, British forces occupied Long Island, leading to the devastation of his estate and forcing his family to flee to Connecticut for seven years. After the Treaty of Paris in 1783, Floyd returned to New York and restored his estate. He was promoted to Major General in the New York State Militia in 1787 and served multiple terms in the State Senate from 1777 to 1788. He was also a State Representative to the First United States Congress from 1789 to 1791. In 1794, Floyd conveyed his Long Island property to his son and relocated to Oneida County, New York, where he passed away on August 4, 1821, at the age of 86.
Other individuals named William Floyd include William Floyd (born February 17, 1972), an American former professional football player who played as a fullback in the National Football League (NFL) and is currently a color analyst for the Seminole ISP Sports Network. William “Bill” Floyd Smith, 68, passed away on April 23, 2026, in Rockport, TX. William Floyd “Bill” Hamilton, born August 15, 1948, died on April 11, 2026, in Nettleton, MS, after serving in the Vietnam War. Additionally, Mr. William Floyd Lee, 84, of Andalusia, passed away on April 7, 2026. Another individual, William Floyd DeGraw, is mentioned as the deceased brother of Donald Lee DeGraw, who passed away on April 16, 2026. William Floyd Olive was the first husband of Barbara Ann Olive, who passed away on April 7, 2026.