REVOLUTIONARY PATRIOT CHARLES CARROLL 1737-1832

The great grandfather of our subject emigrated from Ireland late in the 17th century and obtained a large plantation in Maryland.  At his death the estate went to his eldest, Charles who was 25 years old.  Our subject patriot, Charles was eight years old when his father took him to France and entered him in the Catholic Jesuit College at St. Omer's.  After one year he entered College graduating at age seventeen.  He then moved to Bourgis to study law and entered College of Louis le Grande for a year then moved to Paris.  Charles left Paris for London in 1757 to continue his studies of Law.  In 1767 he returned to Maryland a well schooled and well-bred gentelman.
He became very quickly a supporter of the Patriot cause and was outspoken in favor of independence because of the Stamp Act and quickly became associated with Chase, Paca, Stone, and others in the various Patriot causes of the time.  Mr. Carroll became a part of a newspaper war with the Government of Maryland which was very effective in the state.
In 1771-1772 he wrote under a pen name effective series of essays on taxation without representation signing them "The First Citizen".  So effective was the response of the people that when he became known as the writer he was appointed a member of the first Committee of Safety of Maryland.  Then in 1775 he was appointed a member of the Provincial Assembly.  He was so interested in the General Assembly attempt at independence that he went to Philadelphia and was so well received that he rushed back to the Governor of Maryland and was successful in getting him to allow the Maryland delegates to vote in favor of the Declaration of Independence and he was immediatley elected a delegate.  Mr. Carroll did not return to Philadelphia until July Eighth so, as a result, did not get to vote for passage but was there on August second to add his name to this celebrated document....Medicineman!