Discover the Intriguing Side of History: Top 11 Fun Facts About Roger Sherman You Never Knew!

1. Human GPS of the 1700s

Ever heard of a human GPS from the 1700s with a dash of Einstein? Meet Roger Sherman, the North Star of the 18th-century geography world: Our esteemed founding father was not only a key figure in drafting the U.S. Constitution, but also an impressive surveyor and mathematician who created the first accurate map of Connecticut, widely used and admired for over a century.
Source => jud.ct.gov

2. Shoemaker Turned Lawmaker

From cobbling together shoes to cobbling together laws, Roger Sherman's career saw quite the stitch-up: Despite lacking formal legal education, this witty shoemaker rose to become the pride of New Milford, Connecticut, serving as a member of the Connecticut House of Representatives and eventually as a justice of the Superior Court of Connecticut, aided by a Harvard-educated minister and access to his father's library.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

Did you know Benjamin Franklin's cheeky annual publication, Poor Richard's Almanack, entertained the masses for 25 years, but hardly made him a fortune? Discover more about this fascinating endeavor!

=> Fun Facts about Benjamin-Franklin

3. Google of the 18th Century

He couldn't find Google in the 18th century, so he devoured every book he could find instead! Roger Sherman was quite the bibliophile, often juggling heavy tomes while surveying land or playing shopkeeper to studious Yale students: This voracious autodidact went on to become one of the most influential Founding Fathers of the United States, armed with an impressive wealth of knowledge in theology, law, history, mathematics, and politics.
Source => history.army.mil

4. Eerie Family Connections

Move over, Addams family: Roger Sherman might not share your macabre dinner parties, but his bloodlines do have an eerily impressive twist. His daughter, Mehetabel Sherman Barnes, was the grandmother of William Tecumseh Sherman, the famed Union general during the American Civil War.
Source => declaration.fas.harvard.edu

5. Loyalty Reward Card Winner

If Roger Sherman had a loyalty rewards card for signing important American documents, he'd be swimming in free lattes and lifetime memberships: This overachieving wordsmith was the only person to sign four major founding papers of the United States - the Continental Association, Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation, and the U.S. Constitution - as well as the 1774 Petition to the King and the 1775 Olive Branch Petition, making him quite the influential Founding Father!
Source => en.wikipedia.org

6. Dr. Jekyll or Mr. Hyde?

Though he refused the role of Dr. Jekyll in favor of politics, his appearance often left onlookers questioning if Mr. Hyde was hiding in plain sight: Roger Sherman, the second oldest delegate to the Federal Convention, dabbled as both a physician and astronomer, and despite his notoriously disheveled state, was revered for his complex thinking and firm morality, never indulging in vices nor discussing politics on Sundays.
Source => law2.umkc.edu

7. The Great Compromiser DJ

Had Benjamin Franklin been a DJ, he might have called him "The Great Compromiser" who dropped the beat on the dance floor of the Constitutional Convention: Roger Sherman played a key role in developing the Connecticut Compromise, which established a bicameral Congress with proportional representation in the House of Representatives and equal representation for each state in the Senate.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

8. Real John Hancock of History

Ever wonder who the "John Hancock" of American history is? Turns out, it's not John Hancock but Roger Sherman – a real signature hound, if you will: Roger holds the record for signing all four major documents of the American Revolution – the Articles of Association, the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the Constitution of the United States – and played a key role in creating the Connecticut Compromise which proposed the now-iconic bicameral legislature.
Source => jud.ct.gov

9. From Cobbler to Constitution

While young Roger Sherman was "sole-ly" focused on crafting top-notch shoes, little did the world know he would take a step in a new direction to shape a nation: Roger taught himself through voracious reading and became a county surveyor, held various political offices, made a legal career, and even served as Yale College's treasurer where he was awarded an honorary degree. Ultimately, he served as a delegate to the Continental Congress and was the only person to sign all four great state papers of the United States, including the Articles of Confederation and the United States Constitution.
Source => foottalk.blogspot.com

10. Autodidact's Swagger

With an autodidact's swagger and fervor for scribbling his name on important papers, Roger Sherman could've given John Hancock a run for his money: This overachieving Founding Father, who largely self-taught at his dad's private library, signed not one but all four major US documents – the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the Articles of Confederation, and the Articles of Association. And that's not all! He went from bookworm to legal whiz without formal training, served as a judge and representative, and even had his fingers in the Great Compromise pie during the 1787 Constitutional Convention.
Source => constitutionday.com

11. Document-Signing Champion

If signing documents were a sport, Roger Sherman would undoubtedly win the gold medal: This founding fathers' autograph graced all four key documents in American history – the Continental Association, Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation, and United States Constitution.
Source => connecticuthistory.org