Abraham Clark - Man of the People

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Written By Kari Campbell

Blog by Emily Pierce, PLS, CFedS

Did you ever wonder why men wore those white wigs back in colonial times?

Painting of John Hancock, here modeling the elite look with wrist ruffles and topped off by a fabulous white wig.

Turns out those wigs weren’t all white, but they were all about looking classy – as in economic class, that is.  Apparently the color of the wig reflected status.  Professionals went with gray, tradesmen wore brown, and white wigs were reserved for judges and military officers.  Men could also don white wigs for special occasions – they went well with the ruffles around the wrist which were also part of the whole look.

It’s good to know that men usually had an assortment of wigs, usually make of human, yak, horse or goat hair.  They could wear a wig (and species) that fit the occasion.

Back in the 1700s, wigs were still de rigueur for leading citizens. However, this story is about a surveyor who, although he could have donned the horsehair of honor, chose to continue to dress (and speak) plainly as he rose up through society.

ABRAHAM CLARK

Abraham Clark, painted in 1873 based on the painting by John Trumbull.

Abraham Clark was born in 1726 at a farm near what is now Roselle, New Jersey. As a child, he was quite frail and spent a lot of his time in independent study under the guidance of his father. He was gifted in mathematics, and applied that gift to learning the trade of surveying. He soon realized that a large part of his time was spent mediating land disputes, and soon began to informally study law in his spare time to increase his skill. Although he was probably never formally admitted to the bar, he gained a reputation as a “poor man’s counselor” for his skill at resolving disputes, his solid understanding of the law, and for his willingness to provide free legal advice or accept food or goods as a fee, probably something quite frowned upon by today’s legal standards.

Along with his intelligence and strong work ethic, Clark was civic minded. As a very young man, he served as the clerk for the colonial New Jersey Assembly and as High Sheriff for Essex County. In 1748, at the age of twenty-two, he married Sarah Hatfield and together they raised 10 children. Although he did not come from wealth, due to his hard work and resourcefulness, he was able to eventually build a sizeable estate.

He also built a reputation as a plain spoken and clear-thinking leader. During the 1760s and early 1770s, Clark was one of the few officials to openly argue that Parliament was reducing colonist’s liberties as British citizens. He supported sound and reasonable actions that would counter Parliament’s continual encroachment on the liberties of colonial citizens. In 1775, he became a member of the Committee of Safety and the Provincial Congress. These organizations were essentially a shadow government made up of proto-American patriots who ran the colonies while the British overlords were appropriating as much money and goods as possible and shipping them back to England.

Over time, he began to support calls for independence from the crown, and in June 1776, he became one of New Jersey’s delegates to the Continental Congress. On August 7, 1776, he signed the Declaration of Independence. For him, this was far more than just a signature – it was a hugely consequential step for the new country. “It is gone so far that we must now be a free independent State, or a Conquered Country,” as he wrote to a friend.

Abraham Clark at the signing of the Declaration of Independence as depicted by John Trumbull.

HE DIDN’T COUNT THE COST

Adding his signature to the Declaration of Independence was not only a radical act for a reasonable man, but it also put Clark and his large family in imminent danger.  At the time he signed the document, the British were landing an army on Staten Island, just across the river from his home.

While he continued to serve in the Continental Congress, two of his sons (serving in the Continental Army) were captured by the British and held prisoner on the notorious prison ship, the Jersey. The British uncovered the identity of his sons and subjected them to solitary confinement, starvation and torture, in order to make Clark recant his stand for independence.  He did not mention his plight to Congress, nor did he use his authority to benefit his family.

Clark did not recant, and he did not get his sons back until the war was over.  His son Thomas never recovered from the torture and died soon after.  Clark said he suffered permanent mental distress and guilt from the ordeal.

During all of this, Clark continued to serve in Congress, strongly supporting people’s rights.  He refused to approve the Constitution until he was assured there would be a Bill of Rights.  He is also credited for insisting that American coins bear the word “Liberty.”

Abraham Clark was responsible for adding the word “Liberty” to the first coins - and it continues to be stamped on our coins today.

CLARK’S LAW

After the Revolutionary War, Clark served in the New Jersey General Assembly from 1783 to 1788. He also remained a member of the New Jersey legislature where he notably proposed a 1784 law designed to regulate and reduce the cost of court procedures (known as “Clark’s Law).  He didn’t approve of how many lawyers were inflating their fees and stated that if the law succeeded, “it will tear the ruffles from the lawyers’ wrists.”  It did succeed, so to this day New Jersey lawyers lack ruffles.

Importantly, he also sponsored a bill passed by the New Jersey legislature in 1786 – an “Act to prevent the Importation of Slaves . . ., and to authorize the Manumission (release) of them under certain Restrictions and to prevent the abuse of Slaves”. Like many farmers, Clark had enslaved laborers – not the hundred plus owned by Washington, but three.  He didn’t immediately free them, but he did provide for their release once both he and his wife had passed away.

Oil rendering of the Clark family as imagined by the artist years later in 1822.

Throughout his life, Clark remained very popular amongst the poor in New Jersey and was “unambitious in wealth.”  According to historian Edward C. Quinn, Clark “regarded honesty, thrift and independence as cardinal public virtues.” 

He left a lasting impression. More than 50 years after his death in 1794, the citizens of Ralway, New Jersey erected a monument several feet from his burial site.  The inscription reads:

Firm and determined as a patriot,
Zealous and faithful as a friend to the public,
He loved his country,
And adhered to her cause
In the darkest hours of her struggles
Against oppression

Wigs and ruffles aside, remembering and understanding the purpose and goals of our founding fathers in declaring independence from Great Britain is now more important than ever. 

Kari Campbell
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