Francis Hopkinson Declaration Signer & Creator

 Francis Hopkinson (1737–1791) was a versatile American Founding Father, jurist, author, and composer who played a pivotal role in the political and cultural formation of the United States. A delegate from New Jersey to the Second Continental Congress, he was a signer of the Declaration of Independence and is widely credited with designing the first official flag of the United States, as well as contributing to the design of the Great Seal of the United States.

Early Life and Education

Born in Philadelphia on October 2, 1737, Hopkinson was the son of Thomas Hopkinson, a prominent lawyer and colleague of Benjamin Franklin. He was a member of the first graduating class of the College of Philadelphia (now the University of Pennsylvania) in 1757, later receiving his Master of Arts in 1760. After studying law under Benjamin Chew, the Attorney General of Pennsylvania, he was admitted to the bar in 1761. His early career was marked by a search for stability; he served as a customs collector in Salem, New Jersey, and spent a year in England (1766–1767) attempting to secure a high-ranking colonial appointment through his connections to Lord North, though he ultimately returned to Philadelphia to pursue mercantile interests.

Revolutionary Activities and the Declaration of Independence

Hopkinson’s political career intensified as tensions with Great Britain escalated. In 1774, he moved to Bordentown, New Jersey, and was appointed to the New Jersey Provincial Council. Despite his royal appointment, he became a fierce advocate for colonial rights. He was elected as a delegate to the Second Continental Congress in June 1776. On August 2, 1776, he formally signed the Declaration of Independence. During the Revolutionary War, his home in Bordentown was targeted and looted by British troops, an event he described with stoicism, noting he felt it an honor to suffer for the "Rights of human Nature."

Design of the American Flag and National Symbols

One of Hopkinson’s most enduring legacies is his work as a graphic designer for the new nation. While chairman of the Continental Navy Board, he designed the "Stars and Stripes" flag adopted by Congress on June 14, 1777. In 1780, he submitted a bill to the Board of Admiralty for his "drawings and devices," which included the flag of the United States, the Great Seal of the United States, and designs for Continental currency. Although the Treasury Board eventually declined to pay him—arguing that he was already receiving a government salary and that others had also contributed to the designs—historical records in the Journals of the Continental Congress support his primary role in the flag's creation. He also designed the Great Seal of New Jersey and contributed the pyramid and "Eye of Providence" imagery found on the reverse of the Great Seal of the United States.

I do, however, wonder where the story of Betsy Ross comes in?

Musical and Literary Contributions

Hopkinson is recognized as the first American-born secular composer. His 1759 song, "My Days Have Been So Wondrous Free," is the earliest surviving secular composition by a native-born American. In 1788, he published Seven Songs for the Harpsichord or Forte Piano, dedicated to George Washington. Beyond music, he was a prolific satirist. His most famous literary work, A Pretty Story (1774), used allegory to criticize British colonial policy, while his poem "The Battle of the Kegs" (1778) mocked the British reaction to a fleet of floating mines deployed by the Americans in the Delaware River.

Judicial Career and Later Life

Following the war, Hopkinson served as a judge of the Admiralty Court of Pennsylvania from 1779 to 1789. He was an ardent Federalist and a member of the Pennsylvania convention that ratified the U.S. Constitution. In 1789, President George Washington appointed him as the first federal judge for the United States District Court for the District of Pennsylvania. He held this lifetime appointment until his sudden death from an epileptic seizure (then termed "apoplexy") on May 9, 1791.

Did Francis write a Hymn Book?

Yes, Francis Hopkinson was deeply involved in the compilation, editing, and publication of several collections of sacred music, which were commonly referred to as tune books or hymn books during the 18th century. While he is famously known as the first American-born secular composer, his contributions to American psalmody and church music were equally significant and documented in several published volumes.

Early Sacred Works and the 1763 Collection

Hopkinson’s first major venture into religious music publishing occurred in 1763. He compiled and published a volume titled A Collection of Psalm Tunes, with a few Anthems and Hymns, some of them Entirely New, for the Use of the United Churches of Christ Church and St. Peter's Church in Philadelphia. This book was specifically designed to improve the quality of congregational singing in his local parish. Hopkinson not only selected the music but also served as the organist and a teacher of psalmody at Christ Church, where he instructed the congregation on how to perform these selections properly.

The 1767 Dutch Reformed Psalm Book

One of Hopkinson’s most notable scholarly and musical achievements was his work for the Reformed Protestant Dutch Church in New York. In the mid-1760s, the church decided to transition from singing in Dutch to singing in English. Because the traditional Dutch melodies (the Genevan Psalter) did not always fit English poetic meters, the church commissioned Hopkinson to adapt the English version of the Psalms to these traditional tunes.

The resulting work, published in 1767, was titled The Psalms of David, with the Ten Commandments, Creed, Lord's Prayer, &c. in Metre. For this project, Hopkinson was paid £145, a substantial sum at the time, reflecting the complexity of the task which required him to harmonize the English text with the specific rhythmic requirements of the Dutch melodies.

Other Religious Publications

In addition to these major volumes, Hopkinson published smaller collections and individual pieces for specific liturgical events. These included:

A Psalm of Thanksgiving (1766): Adapted for the solemnity of Easter and performed at Christ Church.

The Lawfulness, Excellency, and Advantage of Instrumental Music in the Public Worship of God (1763): While primarily a prose defense of using organs in church, this work highlighted his role as a leading advocate for sophisticated church music in the colonies.

Secular vs. Sacred "Song Books"

While the works mentioned above are "hymn books" in the religious sense, Hopkinson also published a famous secular songbook near the end of his life. In 1788, he published Seven Songs for the Harpsichord or Forte Piano. Although the title says "Seven Songs," the book actually contained eight (the last was added after the title page was engraved). This volume is historically significant as the first book of secular songs published by a native-born American composer.