Joseph Reed
BIRTH
Aug 27, 1741
Trenton, New Jersey
DEATH
March 5, 1785
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Delegate to the Continental Congress (PA)
FAMILY
MOTHER:
Esther de Berdt
(1746-1780)
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Reed, Joseph
(1741-1785)
Joseph Reed was an American lawyer, military officer, politician, and Founding Father of the United States. He served as aide-de-camp to George Washington, as adjutant general of the Continental Army and fought in several key battles during the American Revolutionary War. He is credited with designing the Pine Tree Flag used during the war.
GRAVE:
GRAVE
Laurel Hill Cemetery
Kelly Drive, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19129, USA
3
WIFE
Esther de Berdt
(1746-1780)
Places | Image | Address | GPS | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Washington's Crossing Historic Park | 1112 River Rd, Washington Crossing, PA 18977 | MUSEUM | ||
Battle of Harlem Heights | 478 Riverside Drive, New York, New York, 10027, USA | MARKER | ||
Battle of Brooklyn Marker | Belt Parkway, New York, New York, 11209, USA | MARKER |
DIED:
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Mar 5, 1785
Reed was born in Trenton in the Province of New Jersey on August 7, 1741, to Andrew Reed and Theodosia Bowes. His grandfather, Joseph Reed, was a wealthy merchant born in Carrickfergus, County Antrim in Ulster who settled in West Jersey. The family moved to Philadelphia shortly after Reed's birth and, as a boy, Reed was enrolled at Philadelphia Academy. He received his bachelor's degree from the College of New Jersey (later known as Princeton University) in 1757. He studied law under Richard Stockton. In the summer of 1763, Reed sailed for England and studied law at Middle Temple in London for two years. Shortly after his studies ended in 1768, Reed was elected as a member of the American Philosophical Society.
He served as a delegate to the Continental Congress from Pennsylvania and was a signatory to the Articles of Confederation. He served as the third President of Pennsylvania's Supreme Executive Council, a position analogous to the modern office of Governor, from 1778 to 1781. He was elected to Congress a second time in 1784, but did not take office due to poor health.