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Lambert Cadwalader (representative)

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For other uses, see Cadwalader (disambiguation).

Lambert Cadwalader (December 1742 – September 13, 1823) was an American merchant and leader in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. He fought in the Revolutionary War, then represented New Jersey in the Continental Congress and the U.S. Congress.[1]

Lambert Cadwalader
Portrait of Cadwalader by Charles Willson Peale, 1771
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New Jersey's at-large congressional district
In office
1793–1795
Preceded byAaron Kitchell
Succeeded byIsaac Smith
In office
1789–1791
Preceded byDistrict created
Succeeded byAbraham Clark
Personal details
BornDecember 1742 (1742-12)
Trenton, Province of New Jersey, British America
DiedSeptember 13, 1823(1823-09-13) (aged 80)
Trenton, New Jersey, U.S.
Resting placeFriends Burying Ground, Trenton, New Jersey
Spouse
Mary McCall
​
(m. 1793)​
RelationsJohn Cadwalader (brother)
ChildrenThomas McCall Cadwalader
Parent(s)Thomas Cadwalader
Hannah Lambert
EducationUniversity of Pennsylvania

Early life

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Lambert was born in Trenton, New Jersey, to Doctor Thomas and Hannah (née Lambert) Cadwalader. By 1750, his family had returned to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he attended Dr. Allison's Academy.

In 1757, he entered the College of Philadelphia (later the University of Pennsylvania), but did not graduate. Instead, he went into business with his brother John Cadwalader.[2]

Career

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The brothers' business was a success and they became more active in civic affairs, both in Philadelphia and the wider field of the colony of Pennsylvania. They signed the non-importation agreement in 1765, to support the boycott of English merchants. Lambert became a particularly outspoken opponent of the Stamp Act and later measures. In 1768 he was elected to the American Philosophical Society.[3] In 1774, he has elected to the Provincial Assembly[citation needed], and, in Philadelphia, he was appointed to the city's Committee of Correspondence.

Revolutionary years

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In 1775, Lambert returned again to the colonial Assembly.[citation needed] He also advanced in the militia, and was named captain of one of the companies raised in the city. Then, in the spring of 1776, he played a prominent role in the call for a state Constitutional Convention. He was named as a delegate, but attended only the first few meetings, as military duty called him away.

In January 1776, Cadwalader had been promoted to lieutenant colonel of the 3rd Pennsylvania Battalion of the Continental Army. Late in the summer, he was in New York to aid that city's defense. He began work on building the defenses at Fort Washington in August. After the Battle of Brooklyn, he worked with George Washington to set up defenses on the Brooklyn Heights, but they were forced to withdraw to Manhattan on August 30, because the British had overwhelming numbers.

The 3rd Pennsylvania returned to the defense of Fort Washington. At the beginning of the battle for the Fort, on November 15, Cadwalader was holding the old line on the Harlem Heights. Facing two British regiments, with three more landed to their rear, the Americans were forced to withdraw to the fort. When Colonel Magaw surrendered the fort on the next day, Cadwalader was among those taken prisoner. He was soon released, after giving his parole to British General Howe. Lambert's quick release was partly due to the consideration that his father, Dr. Thomas Cadwalader, had shown to General Richard Prescott as a prisoner of war in Philadelphia in 1776.

Early in 1777, Cadwalader was named colonel and commander of the 3rd Battalion, now called the 4th Pennsylvania Regiment. He declined to take up the assignment because he was on parole and could not serve until exchanged. He was carried on the rolls for almost two years, but a suitable exchange was never arranged. Finally, after officer exchanges broke down, Washington accepted his resignation on January 29, 1777.

When the British occupied Philadelphia in 1777, he withdrew to his father's property near Trenton, New Jersey. This home, called "Greenwood", would be his residence for the rest of his life.

Later life

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In 1784, New Jersey selected him as a delegate to the Continental Congress. He would serve there for the remaining life of that institution, being returned each year until 1787. When the new government was established for the United States, Cadwalader was a Federalist in national politics. He was elected to the U.S. Congress twice, in 1788 and 1792.[4]

Although eligible, Cadwalader did not join The Society of the Cincinnati as an original member when it was established in 1783. He did however qualify for membership and became eligible for representation by a living descendant after the "Rule of 1854" was adopted by the Society as a way to revive the membership.[5][6]

Personal life

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Coat of Arms of Lambert Cadwalader

In 1793, in his early 50s, Cadwalader married Mary McCall (1764–1848), the daughter of Archibald and Judith (née Kemble) McCall. They had one child:[7]

He died at Greenwood, in Trenton, Mercer County, New Jersey on September 13, 1823, and is buried in the Friends Burying Ground at Trenton.[4]

References

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  1. ^ "CADWALADER, Lambert | US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives". history.house.gov. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
  2. ^ "Philadelphia Museum of Art - Collections Object : Lambert Cadwalader". www.philamuseum.org. Philadelphia Museum of Art. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
  3. ^ Bell, Whitfield J., and Charles Greifenstein, Jr. Patriot-Improvers: Biographical Sketches of Members of the American Philosophical Society. 3 vols. Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, 1997, 2:256–260.
  4. ^ a b CADWALADER, Lambert, (1742 - 1823), Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
  5. ^ Metcalf, Bryce (1938). Original Members and Other Officers Eligible to the Society of the Cincinnati, 1783-1938: With the Institution, Rules of Admission, and Lists of the Officers of the General and State Societies Strasburg, VA: Shenandoah Publishing House, Inc., p. 73.
  6. ^ "Officers Represented in the Society of the Cincinnati". The American Revolution Institute of the Society of the Cincinnati. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
  7. ^ Rawle, William Henry. Colonel Lambert Cadwalader, of Trenton, New Jersey. Philadelphia, n.p., 1878.
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U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by
District created
 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from New Jersey's at-large congressional district
1789–1791 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from New Jersey's at-large congressional district
1793–1795 		Succeeded by


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