John Rutledge

Who was John Rutledge?

John Rutledge was an American statesman and judge. He was the first Governor of South Carolina, of the 31 prior colonial governors, following the signing of the United States Constitution. He was a delegate to the Constitutional Convention, where he chaired a committee that wrote much of what was included in the final version of the United States Constitution, which he also signed. He served as an Associate Justice on the U.S. Supreme Court, and was the second Chief Justice of the Court from June to December 1795. He was the elder brother of Edward Rutledge, a signatory of the Declaration of Independence.