George Read (1733-1798) was an American lawyer, politician, and Founding Father from Delaware. Born on September 18, 1733 in Cecil County, Maryland and raised in New Castle, Delaware, he studied law in Philadelphia before building a successful legal career. Read was a delegate to the Continental Congress and signed the Declaration of Independence, though he initially opposed separation from Britain, favoring reconciliation. He later helped draft Delaware’s first state constitution and served as president (governor) of Delaware in 1777. Read also attended the Constitutional Convention of 1787, where he strongly supported equal representation for small states, influencing the “Great Compromise.” He signed the U.S. Constitution and later served as one of Delaware’s first U.S. Senators before becoming Chief Justice of Delaware.