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- Second Continental Congress
- Independence Hall
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- Signers' Walk
Birth: 1716 (Exact date is unknown)
Death: February 23, 1781 (at the age of approximately 64-65)
Colony: Pennsylvania
Occupation: Ironmaster
Significance: Signed The Declaration of Independence (at the age of approximately 60)
George Taylor was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. Taylor was one of only eight immigrants to sign The Declaration of Independence. Originally born in Ireland (town of birth is unknown), Taylor would immigrate to Philadelphia at the age of 20. Unable to pay for overseas passage himself, Taylor was initially an indentured servant who worked under a Chester County, Pennsylvania ironmaster named Samuel Savage.
After Savage died, Taylor would marry his widow, take over the ironworks, and he began to accumulate considerable wealth. Taylor was eventually appointed to the Second Continental Congress, and he signed The Declaration of Independence. He was also employed by the Pennsylvania Militia for whom he would produce cannon shot for during the American Revolutionary War. Taylor never got to see a free United States at peace since he died in 1781, two years before the conclusion of the Revolutionary War.
George Taylor in Philadelphia
Philadelphia was the first place where Taylor stepped foot on American soil after immigrating from Ireland. Taylor would later live in Philadelphia while a member of the Continental Congress, during this time Taylor would work at Independence Hall, and he would eventually sign The Declaration of Independence. A plaque commemorating Taylor for signing The Declaration of Independence can also be found on Signer's Walk on the 600 block of Chestnut Street. Independence Hall and Signer's Walk are both visited on The Constitutional Walking Tour!
