Skip to main content

Search

My Visit
Donate
Home Smithsonian Institution

Site Navigation

  • Visit
    • Museums and Zoo
    • Entry and Guidelines
    • Maps and Brochures
    • Dine and Shop
    • Accessibility
    • Visiting with Kids
    • Group Visits
      • Group Sales
  • What's On
    • Exhibitions
      • Current
      • Upcoming
      • Past
    • Online Events
    • All Events
    • IMAX & Planetarium
  • Explore
    • - Art & Design
    • - History & Culture
    • - Science & Nature
    • Collections
      • Open Access
    • Research Resources
      • Libraries
      • Archives
        • Smithsonian Institution Archives
        • Air and Space Museum
        • Anacostia Community Museum
        • American Art Museum
        • Archives of American Art
        • Archives of American Gardens
        • American History Museum
        • American Indian Museum
        • Asian Art Museum Archives
        • Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, African Art
        • Hirshhorn Archive
        • National Anthropological Archives
        • National Portrait Gallery
        • Ralph Rinzler Archives, Folklife
        • Libraries' Special Collections
    • Podcasts
    • Stories
  • Learn
    • For Caregivers
    • For Educators
      • Art & Design Resources
      • Science & Nature Resources
      • Social Studies & Civics Resources
      • Professional Development
      • Events for Educators
      • Field Trips
    • For Students
    • For Academics
    • For Lifelong Learners
  • Support Us
    • Become a Member
    • Renew Membership
    • Make a Gift
    • Volunteer
      • Smithsonian Call Center
      • Ambassador Program
      • Museum Information Desk
      • Docent Programs
      • Behind-the-Scenes
      • Digital Volunteers
      • Participatory Science
  • About
    • Our Organization
      • Board of Regents
        • Members
        • Committees
        • Reading Room
        • Bylaws, Policies and Procedures
        • Schedules and Agendas
        • Meeting Minutes
        • Actions
        • Webcasts
        • Contact
      • Museums and Zoo
      • Research Centers
      • Cultural Centers
      • Education Centers
      • General Counsel
        • Legal History
        • Internships
        • Records Requests
          • Reading Room
        • Tort Claim
        • Subpoenas & Testimonies
        • Events
      • Office of Human Resources
        • Employee Benefits
        • How to Apply
        • Job Opportunities
        • Job Seekers with Disabilities
        • Frequently Asked Questions
        • SI Civil Program
        • Contact Us
      • Office of Equal Opportunity
        • EEO Complaint Process
        • Individuals with Disabilities
        • Small Business Program
          • Doing Business with Us
          • Contracting Opportunities
          • Additional Resources
        • Special Emphasis Program
      • Sponsored Projects
        • Policies
          • Combating Trafficking in Persons
          • Animal Care and Use
          • Human Research
        • Reports
        • Internships
    • Our Leadership
    • Reports and Plans
      • Annual Reports
      • Metrics Dashboard
        • Dashboard Home
        • Virtual Smithsonian
        • Public Engagement
        • National Collections
        • Research
        • People & Operations
      • Strategic Plan
    • Newsdesk
      • News Releases
      • Media Contacts
      • Photos and Video
      • Media Kits
      • Fact Sheets
      • Visitor Stats
      • Secretary and Admin Bios
      • Filming Requests

John Witherspoon

National Portrait Gallery

Object Details

Artist
Rembrandt Peale, 22 Feb 1778 - 3 Oct 1860
Copy after
Charles Willson Peale, 15 Apr 1741 - 22 Feb 1827
Sitter
John Witherspoon, 5 Feb 1723 - 15 Nov 1794
Exhibition Label
Born Gifford, Scotland
The Reverend John Witherspoon, president of the College of New Jersey at Princeton (1768–94), was the only clergyman to sign the Declaration of Independence. Like other Presbyterian ministers, Witherspoon abhorred violence but reluctantly conceded that revolution was necessary as the last resort against tyranny. In June 1776, as one of New Jersey’s delegates to the Second Continental Congress, Witherspoon rose from his seat in response to another member’s claim that the country was not ready for independence. On the contrary, Witherspoon declared, the country was “not only ripe for the measure, but in danger of becoming rotten for the want of it.”
Twelve members of the Continental Congress were former students of Witherspoon. Through his college instruction and preaching, he would continue to have an outsize influence on the country’s future leaders, counting among his pupils a president, a vice-president, twenty-eight U.S. senators, and forty-nine members of the House of Representatives.
Nacido en Gifford, Escocia
El reverendo John Witherspoon, presidente del College of New Jersey en Princeton (1768–94), fue el único clérigo que firmó la Declaración de Independencia. Como otros ministros presbiterianos, Witherspoon aborrecía la violencia, pero admitió, aunque a disgusto, que la revolución era necesaria como último recurso contra la tiranía. En junio de 1776, siendo delegado de Nueva Jersey en el Segundo Congreso Continental, Witherspoon se levantó de su asiento para contradecir a otro miembro que afirmaba que el país no estaba listo para la independencia. El país, dijo Witherspoon, “no solo está maduro para esta medida, sino en peligro de podrirse a falta de ella”.
Doce miembros del Congreso Continental eran antiguos estudiantes de Witherspoon. A través de sus cursos en la universidad y sus prédicas, seguiría ejerciendo una enorme influencia en los futuros líderes del país, contando entre sus discípulos a un presidente y un vicepresidente, así como 28 senadores y 49 representantes.
Provenance
Kathryn P. Matthews [Mrs. Samuel Matthews], Bethesda, Md.; purchase/gift 1991 NPG
Credit Line
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; partial gift of Mrs. Samuel Matthews
1794
Object number
NPG.91.81
Restrictions & Rights
CC0
Type
Painting
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
Stretcher: 76.2 x 64.8 x 3.8cm (30 x 25 1/2 x 1 1/2")
Frame: 83.8 x 71.8 x 5.1cm (33 x 28 1/4 x 2")
See more items in
National Portrait Gallery Collection
Exhibition
Out of Many: Portraits from 1600 to 1900
On View
NPG, East Gallery 142
National Portrait Gallery
Topic
Printed Material\Book
Architecture\Column
John Witherspoon: Male
John Witherspoon: Religion and Spirituality\Clergy
John Witherspoon: Politics and Government\Government official\Congressman\Continental congressman
John Witherspoon: Politics and Government\Statesman\Colonial statesman\Signer of Declaration
John Witherspoon: Arts and Culture\Education and Scholarship\Administrator\College administrator\President
Portrait
Record ID
npg_NPG.91.81
Metadata Usage (text)
CC0
GUID (Link to Original Record)
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm4954248bf-8ba6-4d3d-bce9-d0684de78238

Related Content

  • Colonials No Longer

    Portrait Gallery
  • American Revolution: A Fight for Independence:Untitled

This image is in the public domain (free of copyright restrictions). You can copy, modify, and distribute this work without contacting the Smithsonian. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Open Access page.
International media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.
View manifest View in Mirador Viewer

Footer logo

Link to homepage

Footer navigation

  • Contact Us
  • Job Opportunities
  • Get Involved
  • Inspector General
  • Records Requests
  • Accessibility
  • EEO & Small Business
  • Shop Online
  • Host Your Event
  • Press Room
  • Privacy
  • Terms of Use

Social media links

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • LinkedIn

Get the latest news from the Smithsonian

Sign up for Smithsonian e-news

Get the latest news from the Smithsonian

Email powered by BlackBaud (Privacy Policy, Terms of Use)
CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
Back to Top