Birthday of Founding Father Caesar Rodney
Record date: 2020-10-14
Proclamation 10096 of October 6, 2020 Birthday of Founding Father Caesar Rodney A Proclamation Today is the 292nd birthday of Founding Father Caesar Rodney. Rodney was a soldier, a sheriff, a justice on the Delaware Supreme Court, a delegate from Delaware to the Continental Congress, a Brigadier General in the Continental Army, and a signer of the Declaration of Independence. He is an American legend. Rodney rode into American history when, despite suffering from cancer and asthma, he traveled 80 miles overnight from Dover to Philadelphia through a raging thunderstorm
What this record contains
- Federal Register document
- 2020-22907
- Publication date
- 2020-10-14
- Citation
- 85 FR 65181
- Issuing office
- Executive Office of the President
Official record excerpt
Proclamation 10096 of October 6, 2020 Birthday of Founding Father Caesar Rodney A Proclamation Today is the 292nd birthday of Founding Father Caesar Rodney. Rodney was a soldier, a sheriff, a justice on the Delaware Supreme Court, a delegate from Delaware to the Continental Congress, a Brigadier General in the Continental Army, and a signer of the Declaration of Independence. He is an American legend. Rodney rode into American history when, despite suffering from cancer and asthma, he traveled 80 miles overnight from Dover to Philadelphia through a raging thunderstorm in time to cast Delaware's deciding vote for independence on July 2, 1776. His heroic act helped ensure that the Declaration of Independence would be passed unanimously. Upon entering Independence Hall, Rodney is said to have uttered these words: “As I believe the voice of my constituents and all sensible and honest men is in favor of independence, and as my own judgment concurs with them, I give my vote for independence.” Rodney was not just a Founding Father, he was a fighter for American freedom, serving under the command of General George Washington at Trenton during the Revolution. Washington bestowed his “sincerest thanks” for Rodney's service, commending his character as deserving of the “highest honor” and describing his devotion to the American cause as “the most distinguished.” After the Revolution, Rodney continued to fight through cancer and serve the State of Delaware as Speaker of the Upper House of its General Assembly. As the years went by, Rodney's cancer grew worse. Finally, he became so weak that he could not travel to participate in the legislative session. But Rodney's presence was so significant and his statesmanship was so revered by his fellow colleagues that they would not proceed without him and voted to meet at Rodney's own home so that he could still lead them from his bed. For more than two centuries, Delaware honored the patriotism and sacrifice of Caesar Rodney. In 1934, Delaware donated a statue of Caesar Rodney holding the Declaration of Independence to the United States Capitol. In 1976, the State issued a postage stamp commemorating Caesar Rodney to celebrate the bicentennial, and the Delaware Bicentennial Commission published an entire history of Rodney's life, proclaiming him “Delaware's hero for all times and all seasons,” “the patron saint of his native state,” and “Delaware's principal hero of the American Revolutionary War.” The 1999 State Quarter of Delaware bears Caesar Rodney's image. At the University of Delaware, students live in Caesar Rodney Residence Hall. Boy Scouts in Delaware travel the historic Caesar Rodney Trail. Each year, Delaware residents participate in the Caesar Rodney Half Marathon and 5K. In Camden, both the High School and School District are named after Caesar Rodney, and one can drive down Caesar Rodney Avenue. Even the Federal Government has taken action to preserve the memory of Caesar Rodney and honor the history of Rodney's ride for independence. In 2013, President Obama designated the First State National Monument in Delaware, which protected as an object of “historic interest” the very ( printed page 65182) assembly room where Caesar Rodney introduced a bill to prohibit the importation of slaves into Delaware and where Rodney presided as Speaker when the Delaware Assembly declared independence from the British Crown in 1776. At the First State National Monument, park officials tell the story of Caesar Rodney's 18-hour ride through severe storms to vote for the Declaration of Independence. But today, the memory and remarkable history of Caesar Rodney's midnight ride is at risk of being erased forever. In the center of downtown Wilmington, Delaware is Rodney Square, named after Caesar Rodney. Until recently, a majestic equestrian statue of Caesar Rodney riding to Philadelphia had stood there for nearly a century. In 2011, Rodney Square and the Caesar Rodney Equestrian Statue were placed on the National Register of Historic Places after the State of Delaware nominated them for the honor. The nomination notes that, at the time of its design, the Caesar Rodney Equestrian Statue was “considered by many sculptors to be one of the most beautiful equestrian statues in the world.” But, on June 12, 2020, the Caesar Rodney Equestrian Statue was removed as part of an
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